Shattered Whole
by Daniel Terres
Summary: Be it battle, home, or dealing with each other, the Squidbeak Splatoon is always at work. From the outside, it looks like a normal group. Happy inklings hanging out, albeit famous ones at that. No one could know what they truly did together. Sins that run deep, fears that can't be withstood. Only through the strength of each other can the Shattered become Whole.
1. Prologue

Shattered Whole

By: Daniel Terres

Prologue

The sin of man runs deep, far deeper than most know. The secrets one can hold can be as dark as the night sky, but their personalities and intentions can be as bright as the midday star. What do you do when a person close to you, someone you thought of as a friend, reveals a dark, sinister secret? What happens when that darkness reveals that it is just as troubled as your friend? Observe, and discover what it means to be the Shattered Whole

* * *

"Sir, we are quickly approaching them."

"Good. Keep an eye out for Agent 4. If he… changes, shifts at all, tell me."

"Changes?"

"You'll know when you see. Now be capture them! They can't escape!"

"Yes sir!"

* * *

A dark, stormy sky. Rain is falling in torrents. Boots slam against puddles, splashing water everywhere. Three people running, all armed. One looks back, eyes wide. Behind them is an armada, a small army, all chasing the three. The person freezes, filled with fear.

One of the other two turns back and yells over the rain, "Agent 1, come on! We're almost there!" The figure called Agent 1 snaps out of her daze, then nods. She takes off running again, quickly catching up with the other two.

The one who called her turns and says, "Thank Kami this isn't acid rain. This mission would be so much more dangerous otherwise."

The third member, the only one who hasn't spoken, responds with, "This mission is dangerous anyways. We knew we wouldn't get out without alerting the Octarian army Agent 4."

Agent 4 just nods, saying, "I know, Agent 2. I'm just glad we didn't have to wear those bulky rain suits. I can't run in them."

Suddenly, a loud bang is heard, and each agent ducks instinctively. A beam of purple ink flies overhead and splashes against the ground in front of them. The ink puddle dissolves almost instantly within the water.

Agent 2 turns back and curses. "Shit! They have snipers now!"

Agent 4 turns and analyzes the army. He could see some Octosnipers coming in, moving quickly on their little platforms and preparing another shot. Judging by their position, they wouldn't miss this time.

Agent 1 watches the snipers as well and says, "My roller could block some shots, but we'll have to slow down for me to do it. But if we do that, we get in range of their shooters. What should we do Marie?!"

In her desperation, Agent 1 forgets to use their codenames. Agent 2 glares at her and yells, "Codenames One! We're on the field!"

Agent 1 blushes in embarrassment, Agent 2 shaking her head. She looks forwards and searches the blurring area for some cover. Her eyes begin to narrow as she sees none.

"I'll stay and fight." Agent 1 and 2 look over at 4 in surprise. Agent 1 was the first to voice her opinion. "What?! But you can't! There's too many!"

Agent 4 nods and says "I know, but it'll buy you guys time. I have the best chance of slowing them all down and getting away. I am the best with stealth afterall. And who knows? He might actually do some good with making them hesitate"

The two other Agents stare at Four in shock. The fact that he'd even suggest that he would do some good this time is baffling. The situation is much worse than they ever thought it was before. Two grabs One's hand and yells, "Come on! We need to leave him be!"

Agent 4 runs at the army with a fierce determination. "I have to buy Callie and Marie time. In order to do that, I need to fight them. Oh Kami, I hope I don't kill anyone."

One of the Octarians sneers at Agent 4 and yells "One split off! Get him while we have the chance!"

The Octarians take aim, then rain hell onto the lone agent. Agent 4 avoids the barrage of ink with a fluid ease. Also, due to the torrential rain, some of the ink is dissolving somewhat, or even completely, making the shots deal less damage to Agent 4's armor.

After only a few moments, Agent 4 reaches the army. He pulls a large item off of his back and reveals it as a giant brush. Agent 4 narrows his eyes and thinks, "Let's hope this numbing ink works."

With a yell of exertion, Agent 4 swings the massive brush in front of him. Red ink flies forwards in a wave, drenching the closest Octolings with ink. They fall back onto the wet ground, unconscious.

Agent 4 breaths out a sigh of relief as he sees them not get splatted. The Octolings back off slightly, each of them noticing the bright red color of the ink. One of the soldiers in the back screams, "The Blood Wraith!"

The soldiers, suddenly fearful, don't attack. Agent 4 smirks to himself. "Good. He really is helping this time. About time too."

Agent 4's moment of reprise is suddenly taken back when he hears someone approaching. The agent swings around, his arms brought up in a tight guard. The Octoling's punch lands square in the defense, but only causes the Octoling himself to hiss in pain. The other Octolings, seeing this retaliation, all roar and charge at the Agent, their vigor renewed.

Another two octolings approach and Agent 4 turns to face them. The two octoling soldiers try to do a combo attack, sending double the attacks. Agent 4 avoids them all with ease, flowing between the blows with a startling grace.

As he avoids the attacks, he hears another person approaching from behind. He sees an opening in the attacks, then jumps back. He turns slightly and jams his elbow into the approaching opponent. The octoling grunts, stumbling back and impeding the progress of the other soldiers.

Agent 4 hears a click that he recognizes as a safety being removed. Someone was going to take a shot. He jumps up, correctly guessing the sound. A splash of ink hits where he just was, dissolving in the water.

The lone agent lands on another puddle of water, brush back in hand. He swings it forwards, knocking down more octolings. He turns as he hears another click and takes out the octolings trying to shoot.

A splash is heard behind him and Agent 4 just thinks "These octolings keep doing the same tactic. When will they change?"

He turns, Ibrush flying forwards to knock out the soldier. But, he underestimated how close the octoling was. The brush's metal slams into the octoling's face, and an ugly CRACK resounds through the area.

Agent 4's eyes widen to the size of saucers as he sees the soldier fall down. The octoling was gasping like a fish, blood spewing out of his shattered nose. The octoling coughs violently, trying desperately to breathe. And then, with one last gasp, the soldier dies.

Agent 4's eyes shake in shock as he sees the life drain from the soldier's eyes. And then, he hears it. "You killed another one."

Agent 4 shakes his head, tears welling up in his eyes. "No. No no no. It was an accident! You were supposed to be a deterrent! You aren't supposed to be coming out!

The dark, malicious voice continues, seeming to not care about Agent 4's argument. "And yet, you still did it. You ended his life. He had family, friends, comrades. They'll never see him again. When will you learn that you can't kill without succumbing to me?"

Agent 4's body shakes, and he falls to the ground. He kneels forwards, head lowered. His long tentacles blocked his face, and the tears that fell. His eyes shut tightly, and he grits his teeth. "N-No. I-I… I! S-Stay b-back!"

The octolings stare at the shaking agent in surprise. One suddenly snorts and says "The mighty Agent 4, brought down to a shaking mess by his own kill! What a joke."

The other octolings chuckle maliciously. One then grins widely and says "Let's get him! He's completely defenseless."

Just as the soldier says this, Agent 4's body stops shaking. The Agent stands slowly, his breaths raggad and slow. Then, the Agent glances up.

Blood red, piercing as a knife, stares deep into the Octolings around them. The sclera of the eyes are pitch black, darker than the night itself. The 'Agent' stands up straight, then grins widely. "My oh my. Seems I have to try and save us again. How disappointing."

The 'Agent' slumps a bit, a frown on his face. "Why don't we keep this quick? I can tell right now that none of you are worth trying to get new memories."

One of the Octolings, feeling a sudden feeling of bravery, or stupidity, yells, "What's that mean?! There's no way you can take us all on!"

The frown adorning the 'Agent's' face breaks out into a wide, fanged grin. "Oh? You really believe that?! Then let me show you what Akuma, the Blood Wraith, can really do!"

With a sudden, bloodthirsty laugh, Akuma moves forwards. The Octoling closest to Akuma tries to step back in shock and fear, but she can't move, frozen in terror as she is. Akuma brings his hand forwards, the hand set in a chopping position. It slams into her neck, and another crack is heard. The octoling gasps once, then falls over, silent. Just before the blow landed home though, she managed to scream one phrase. "A shift-!"

Akuma chuckles and says, "Just the right spot, perfect for a clean kill. But…" He turns around, red eyes flashing. "You taunted me. You all taunted me. So, become my new memories!" With another laugh, Akuma moves forwards.

Back at the barrier, Agent 1 and 2 are just about to return home. Then, they hear a sudden noise. It sounds like laughter and screaming. Agent 1 shudders at the ominous noise, but Agent 2 shrugs it off. The rain is just messing with them. "Come on Callie, let's go."

Agent 1 turns and sees Agent 2 jump into a grate, moving quickly back to the city. She turns to Octo Valley, listening for the frightful sounds. She stays still, eyes wide with worry, then turns to the grate. She turns into a squid, then jumps inside.

* * *

"So, he 'shifted', just as you said."

The man sitting in the control room twirls his glass slowly. "This could work in my advantage. Keep this quiet. I want no one to know I am spying on Agent Four"

Another figure enters. "Commander Octavius, sir, Lord Octavio wishes to see you."

The man sighs, then says "I will go see him then." The man walks out of the room without another word.

**-Author Notes-**

**The Prologue has been updated! With this, hopefully, better opening, I believe the story will start off strong. Those of you who have already read this story, congrats! You get to see changes. Those of you just starting, I welcome you to my favorite story I've written or am currently writing.**

**Thank you for reading, and I hope you all enjoy!**


	2. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1**

Inkopolis, the place of opportunity and freedom. Young inklings came from all over to see this marvelous city and its own special sport, turf wars. With the use of the miracles that are spawn points, the inklings could play this sport without the fear of death.

One such inkling is just arriving today. At the young age of 14 with the typical hairstyle most females had, she also wore a simple white t-shirt and black shorts with an orange line on the sides. She also had a backpack and suitcases filled with her clothing and other essentials.

She sighs, then says "Alright Amber, let's go home." With that, she takes her first steps into the city.

She looks up at the towering buildings around her in complete awe. They were massive and covered with every color imaginable! There were even some she couldn't imagine!

All around her inklings walked, talked, and smiled. They all looked extremely happy, no matter what their age was. Many of them were carrying around weapons, which startled the orange-haired inkling, until she remembered that turf wars were the main sport here.

She continues to move along in a slight daze, gazing at the sights all around her. Things were moving so quickly, and yet, it felt so calm too. She then noticed one screen in particular over the others.

On the screen were two inkling females. One had long, black and magenta tentacles, along with a black and magenta stage outfit that was extremely baggy at the hips. The other had much shorter gray and green tentacles, along with an outfit of the same color pallet, but with a skirt instead of the baggy hips.

It took only one look to recognize who those inklings were. With a sparkle in her eyes, Amber mutters out "The Squid Sisters! I'd forgotten that they lived here."

The Squid Sisters were famous for their singing and impeccable fighting skills. The two were actually cousins though, and Amber found out through her life that many didn't know that. Beyond this, the Squid Sisters also had risen up from very little. Living a comfortable life with little to spare, the young inklings took what they could. When they won the Calamari County Youth Singing Competition, they tried to expand. It worked wonders for them and their families back home. Now the cousins live here in Inkopolis, singing for the world and even hosting the news.

Amber looked up to them more than idols. They were proof to her that anybody could become famous or loved, even if they started from the bottom.

Amber's expression grows more solemn as she thinks back on why she admires the Squid Sisters so much.

Amber never knew her parents and was kept in an orphanage. Along with this, she had a secret that made it impossible for her to have any sort of relationships with other inklings. Alone and often feared, she had lived a hard childhood.

The young inkling then tightens her fist as her eyes blaze with determination. "That's why I'm here in Inkopolis. I am finally going to become somebody!" With that she begins her walk once more. She weaves through the crowds, set in her goal now.

After a few more minutes of walking, she finally reaches her destination. A small set of apartments, the only place she could afford to live at. She runs over to the building and goes inside.

The lobby inside was a simple design with ornate carpets and torch-like lights. At the back wall was two doorways leading into the building. Amber rummages through her bags, pulls out a key, then goes through the right door.

She eventually finds her apartment and goes inside. The apartment door lead straight into her living room. To her right, tucked away behind a small wall, was the kitchen. To the very right end of the room was a hallway leading to a single bedroom and bathroom. Amber goes into the hallway and into the bedroom.

She begins sifting through her things, sorting out her clothes, toothbrush, and other items she needed. She gets to the bottom of the bag and finds a small card. Amber looks at it for a moment, then picks it up.

It was a small ID card. It had her name, her level in turf wars, her rank, and her coin amount. Currently she was only level 1 and had no rank. Her coins were at a measly 100 after buying this apartment. Amber frowns and pockets the card. "Later."

She begins putting all of her stuff away, the task taking only a few minutes. After she finishes she sits down on her couch and looks around.

She had various paintings and other items around the apartment to give it a more 'homey' look to it. She had some small snacks in her cupboards, but not much. She needed to go grocery shopping. The only issue was the tiny amount of money she had!

Amber sighs loudly, taking out her ID card. She grimaces at the practically insignificant amount of cash she had. She looks at her turf war level, then decides there was only one thing to do. She pockets her card and leaves the apartment.

Amber runs along the streets of Inkopolis, taking quick glances at her phone's map so she knew where she was going. She wanted to do one battle and then get some groceries. She didn't want to do anything more after that.

Deep in her thoughts as she was, she never notices someone crossing her path. Running at full speed as was, the collision was quite the spectacle. Amber feels sudden resistance, and grunts in surprise as she falls over.

She rubs her head, cracking an eye open. She notices someone beneath her, rubbing his head as well. Amber yelps and quickly gets back up. "Oh my gosh, are you ok?!"

The man nods his head, picking himself up. He stands up fully and Amber's eyes widen slightly. This guy was a whole foot taller than her! Amber was only 14, but still! There isn't much height difference between maturity and 14.

As the person nurses his head, Amber takes a good look at him. Other than being quite tall, he also had long hair for a boy. It was jet black too, fading into red spots at the bottom. He was wearing a blue hoodie and black shorts with red lines on the side. He also wore these peculiar yellow shoes that seemed to glow on the side.

"Um, hello?" Amber blinks, then realizes that the person was looking at her with a strange look.

Realizing she was staring, Amber blushes and bows deeply. "I'm so sorry! I wasn't paying attention."

Amber keeps her eyes shut tight, expecting some sort of backlash. He was going to yell at her, or maybe even hit her!

The man did something she didn't expect. He laughs, then says "It's fine! No harm done."

Amber looks up, disbelief in her eyes. "I-It's fine?"

The man nods, smiling the whole time. "Yeah, it's fine. Oh, you can stand up now."

Amber raises herself back up and looks into the man's eyes. She makes a noise of surprise when she sees his irises. They were a shining gold color, filled to the brim with mischief and kindness. But what really got her attention was the four-pronged star shape his pupils had.

The man chuckles and says "You're staring again." Amber blushes and quickly looks down, muttering an apology. The man just laughs again and says "Oh come on, I'm just messing with ya!"

Amber looks back up gingerly, then nods. The man then seems to frown and examine her. Amber freezes in his gaze, staring with wide eyes. His unique eyes narrow, then he says "So… what's your name?"

Amber blinks at the sudden question, then says "A-Amber."

The man suddenly grins widely and bows deeply, like a magician. "Ika Cuttlefish at your service."

Amber giggles at the little display. Ika looks up and smiles when he hears her laugh. Ika straightens up, then says "So, where are you going in such a hurry?"

Amber looks past Ika and points at the massive tower in the distance. "I'm going to the Battle Tower. I need to do a turf war so I can get some money for groceries."

Ika turns to the Battle Tower, then nods. "Seems about right. So what level are ya?"

Amber blushes again, then pulls out her card. She stares at it, then says in a depressed tone "I-I'm only level one."

Ika grins again and says "A newbie huh? Well, I guess I could show you the ropes."

Amber looks up at Ika with another expression of surprise. "H-Huh?!"

Ika nods to himself, then grins again. "Yep, guess I'll just have to show you around. You'd never last a day without me."

Amber suddenly flushes and feels a fire burning in her. She points at Ika's face and yells "I can last a day without you! I know how to fight!"

Ika just chuckles and says "Woah, we got a fiery one here. Determination like that will get you quite far kid."

Amber blinks in surprise, her hand lowering. She then huffs and pouts, annoyed that her proclamation didn't mean anything.

Ika then turns and waves for Amber to follow. "Come on, let's get you some gear." With nothing else to do, Amber just agrees and follows after Ika.

As they walk, Amber takes in more of the sights. She felt like she could never get enough of the towering buildings and bright color thrown everywhere.

"This place really is something, isn't it?" Amber just nods slowly.

Ika sighs, hands in his hoodie pockets and a small smile on his face. "Back at my old home, we never had anything like this. Sure we had fireworks and those cool traditional-looking houses, but nothing like this."

Amber looks over at him in surprise. "Traditional? Are you from Calamari County?"

Ika nods. "That I am. Me, my sis, and my cousin all moved here when they got a singing career. They got all famous and stuff, but I'm not one for fame. I just play turf wars and admire the beauty of this city."

Amber suddenly feels suspicious after he said that. Sister and cousin? Singing career? Amber was getting very suspicious. "Wait… who's your sister and cousin?"

Ika looks at her with another grin. "Well, they are quite famous. I bet you can take a guess."

Amber narrows her eyes as she inspects Ika. She notices a sign behind Ika on a building, advertising the Squid Sisters' concert. She felt like she should know something about this. She looks between Ika and the Squid Sisters.

As she looked, she began to notice similarities. Ika's long, black tentacles matched Callie's. His golden, uniquely shaped eyes were the same as both of the cousins'. The realization hits Amber like a train. Eyes suddenly widening, she stutters out "T-The Squid Sisters?!"

Ika grins widely and bows deeply again. "Why yes, those two! How wonderful having such a famous duo as a family." He stands up and laughs loudly, drawing some attention to them.

Amber looks around nervously, then says "Maybe we should keep this quiet."

Ika stops laughing, then looks around. He grimaces at the gazes he was getting and nods. "Maybe that's for the best."

Ika looks forward, then smiles again. "Ah, here we are!"

Amber looks forward as well and her eyes widen. They were in a large plaza, shops strewn about the edges of it. At the back end, right in the center, was a massive tower. The tower was covered in screens advertising different companies and various parts of the city's splendor. Many inklings were going to the tower, each of them carrying a weapon.

Ika turns away from the tower and waves for Amber to follow. "Come on, we need to get you a starter set first." Amber watches Ika leave, then quickly follows.

She slows down next to Ika and notices that they were approaching one of the buildings. It had a picture of what looked like various weapons, and also a horseshoe crab. She looks at the sign and reads it. "Ammo Knights. What's Ammo Knights?"

Ika grins widely and says "Why, only the best weapons shop in all of Inkopolis! The owner, Sheldon, makes all of the weapons used in turf wars." Ika blinks. "Well, more like he designs the weapons and sells the public copies. The factories make them."

The duo reaches the shop and Ika pushes open the door. Ika looks at the counter and says "Sheldon!"

Some shuffling is heard, and a head pops up over the counter. Amber blinks in surprise at the sudden motion. The person had an odd helmet and what looked like goggles. He also had some odd combination of a scout vest and a blacksmith apron.

The person, who Amber figured was Sheldon, smiles and says "Ah, Ika! How lovely to see you. What can I do for ya?"

Ika gestures to Amber and the young inkling suddenly feels self-conscious. "This young lady right here needs a starter set for turf wars. She's starting today."

Sheldon looks at her for a bit, then nods with smile. "Alrighty then! Let me grab the stuff." Sheldon disappears beneath the counter, and more rummaging is heard.

Amber stands on her toes, trying to see what the shop owner was doing. Suddenly, a bag of stuff hits the counter with a loud bang. Amber recoils in shock, her ears lowered. Ika chuckles, making Amber blush in embarrassment.

Sheldon stands up again, sorting through the stuff. "Alright, we have an ink tank, the splattershot, and some instructions on making burst bombs." Sheldon smiles widely and says "These are yours to keep, no charge."

Amber looks at him in surprise. "Are you sure?"

Sheldon nods. "Everyone has to start somewhere, and not everyone has a weapon to start with. I consider this my treat to the city."

Amber looks at the weapon and paper, then grabs them tentatively. She holds them close, then does a small bow. "Thank you very much."

Sheldon chuckles and says "Such manners! Ika, are you rubbing off onto this girl?"

Ika chuckles and ruffles the smaller squid's hair. Amber's face flushes and she glares at the older squid, forcing her hair back to its normal smoothness. "Maybe. Anyways, thanks for the stuff Sheldon."

Sheldon nods and waves after the two as they leave. "Sure thing Ika! And kid, come back any time, alright?!"

Amber turns and nods her head with a smile. "I will!" Sheldon just laughs as the door closes.

Amber turns around, then looks at her new equipment. She stares, trying to comprehend that this was her's. She looks up at Ika, who was watching with a smile. He gestures to the tank and says "Well, put it on!"

The young inkling looks down again, then puts the ink tank onto her back. She lowers it in between her shoulder blades, feeling the warm glass press against her back. A lone tube fell uselessly against her leg. Then, a sudden sting is felt in her back. She flinches and looks back at the tank. "What the hell was that?!"

Ika looks at her tank, seeing a tube connected to her back through a small needle. "Ah, it's just the ink pump. It takes the ink from your ink sac and puts it into the tank."

Amber tries to turn and see it. "Is this going to happen each time then?"

Ika nods with his arms crossed. "Yeah, every time. You get used to it though."

Amber stops trying to see the needle, then sighs. "Alright then." She looks down, then picks up her weapon. She notices a large hole on the back, and then at the tube dangling next to her. She grabs the tube and screws it into the weapon's slot. After the seal shuts, ink begins filtering into the splattershot.

Ika grins and says "Fast learner. Well, we have no time to waste! Let's go commence battle!"

Amber just giggles and follows after Ika. The two stride right through the doors and into the lobby. For the umpteenth time that day, Amber freezes in awe. The entire lobby was filled with various seating areas, a food counter, and doors leading to connecting buildings so that other inklings can sit. Various TVs were on, playing different channels, and different hallways lead into the battling center of the building.

Ika walks over to the desk next to them. A clerk looks up, then smiles. "Ah, Ika. Come to battle again?"

Ika nods, then gestures to Amber. "I sure am, but I got a friend here joining me."

The clerk looks at Amber, then says "May I see your ID please?" Amber nods and fishes out her ID, handing it to the clerk.

The clerk looks at it, then says "Level 1? Ika, you know how much it annoys me trying to find a fair game for a level 50 and level 1."

Amber's eyes widen and she looks at Ika in shock. "Level 50?!"

Ika shrugs, seemingly careless, but a small smile was on his face. "It isn't much. I do this for a living you know."

Amber just stares, and the clerk notices. The clerk grins and says "Don't listen to him. He's being modest. This man right here is one of the best fighters in the league, maybe even THE best."

Ika blushes, simply looking down. Amber seems more surprised with this reaction than the information. Seems that while Ika loved joking around, he didn't like being the center of attention.

A chime is sounded, making Amber look around in confusion. The clerk hands back her ID and says "I managed to get some decently good fighters for the opposing team. Ones that shouldn't be impossible for Amber to beat, yet also good enough to fight you Ika."

Ika nods his thanks, then leads Amber to a hallway. Amber looks forwards and says "Wait, how do you know where to go?"

Ika points to a screen on one of the walls. Amber takes a look and sees her name and Ika's, along with six others, saying to go to a certain room number. Amber flushes, wondering how she missed that. "Oh."

The two walk in silence, mainly because of Amber's nerves. What's going to happen when she gets in there? She knew the clerk said she could take these guys on, but what happens if she couldn't?! Ika would laugh at her and leave her alone for sure!

Ika glances at Amber and notices her trembling. He smiles gently and says "Hey, kid, no need to worry. Everyone feels this way when they first start. Heck, even I did."

Amber blinks, then looks at Ika in surprise. "Really? But you are the best!"

Ika looks forwards and just says "'Everyone who was something was nothing at first.' That's a little something my gramps always told me, Callie, and Marie. He still does sometimes."

Ika looks at the younger inklings with a serious yet calming expression. "Even I, revered as the greatest fighter in turf wars, began as clueless as you are. I had to learn quickly to win, or even survive. You are in a place anyone knows well. Those who laugh at you for it simply have forgotten their own struggles."

Amber looks at Ika, then looks forwards. Ika's words did bring a feeling of comfort over her. He was right. She was in the same position as anyone else would have been. She nods, her eyes blazing with determination. "Alright. Thank you Ika."

With that same small smile, he says "Any time." After that, they lapse back into silence.

Even with the boost Ika gave her, it felt way too soon that their room appeared. They stop in front of it, Amber clutching her weapon tightly. Ika looks at the door with suppressed eagerness. "Ready?"

Amber looks over to Ika to respond, then blinks in surprise. Ika now had a giant paintbrush in his hands, and he was holding it with just one arm. Amber points at him and yells "Where the hell did that come from?!"

Ika looks at her, then at his brush. "Ink manifestation. Same way we make our bombs. I found a way to do it with my brush. Neat, huh?"

Amber looks at him with an exasperated expression. She sighs, then looks back up at the door. She takes a breath, then says "I'm ready."

Ika grins, then says "Let's go then." Amber nods, and Ika opens the door. The two step inside, Amber ready to do her first turf war.

**-Author Notes-**

**Well, I still don't have much to say here. First chapter done, and a lot more to go. Hope you enjoyed!**


	3. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

"I'm not ready I'm not ready _I'm not ready!_" Amber yelps as another blob of ink flies overhead. Amber takes aim at her assailant and unloads her tank on him. The inkling dodges to the side, disappearing behind a crate. Amber runs off before he could get another chance to attack.

Amber hears the tell-tale click of a gun ready to fire and looks to her side. She barely processes the enemy aiming at her before a wave of orange ink slams into them. The inkling pops and returns back to her spawn point.

Ika lands where the enemy once was, his eyes darting around the area. "You doing good Amber?"

Amber just nods, looking around nervously. That was one enemy down, but the one from before could still be here. She didn't want to get jumped. She doesn't like this!

Suddenly, a splash is heard from a nearby puddle. Amber screams and fumbles with her splattershot, aiming it where she heard the noise. An enemy inkling jumps out of the green ink, their roller raised in the air.

Amber yelps and pulls on the trigger instinctively. The recoil knocks her over, taking her breath away. She looks up, then notices the ghostly squid disappearing into the air.

Ika grins as he lands next to her, looking at the squid. "First kill. Nice job Amber."

Amber just grins widely at the older inkling. Ika smiles down at her, then helps her back up. An explosion is suddenly heard and they look towards it. Ika frowns when he sees a tornado of green ink fly into the air. "I'm gonna check that out. Be careful Amber!" With that, Ika runs off, brandishing his massive brush.

Amber gulps as she is suddenly left alone. She shakes her head, steeling her gaze. There was no time to be afraid, she has to move forwards! She runs towards the enemy base, painting as much of the ground around her as possible. She also keeps a close eye out for enemy inklings.

After a few moments, she finds herself in a more open area. There was orange and green ink splattered everywhere. Amber looks for any enemies, then jumps into a trail of orange ink.

She maneuvers quickly swims across the open area in her squid form. She reaches a wall and slowly rises out of the ink. She was at the side of the open middle area of Walleye Warehouse. According to her map, there was a ramp behind her that leads to the enemies' base.

She rises from the ink completely, running towards the enemy base. Once she passes the uninkable ramp, she begins painting again, replacing the green ink around her with orange ink.

Amber frowns and slows down, cautious. She was uncontested for a while now. Even if she was taking a side route, those should be looked over, at least according to what Ika said. Where are the enemies. Deciding to take it safe, she paints the area in front of her. Then, instead of swimming forwards, she waits.

After only a second or two, a beam of green ink flies into the small area she was in. Amber's eyes go wide and she clamps a hand over her mouth to stop herself from screaming. She instantly falls into her ink, not wanting to get caught.

She watches through the ink, her squid eye's able to see through it, as an enemy walks into the small area. They were wearing a half face mask and a bulky jacket. In one hand was a long sniper rifle, and in the other was a burst bomb.

The enemy looks around, wondering where the intruder went. He looks at the orange ink around him. He curses his gun's bad ability to cover turf. Then, the music playing over the intercoms change. He looks up, then fires a beam forwards. As he moves forward, he mumbles to himself "One minute left. No point in searching now." He runs down the ramp and disappears around the corner.

Amber raises from the orange ink, her heart pounding. She lowers her hand, watching for the enemy sniper. She breathes out a sigh of relief, then turns around and begins painting again.

Amber turns the corner and runs out of the constricting hallway. She looks to her left and notices the enemy spawn point. She didn't see anyone, and she figured she had maybe 45 seconds left. She runs forwards and begins painting again.

Then, at around 30 seconds, she hears a ding. She frowns and turns around. Her ink tank had a flashing red light on it. What was that for?

Then, Amber hears a sudden exclamation of surprise. Amber jumps and turns to the enemy spawn point. The roller from before was respawning and noticed her. Now she was running forwards, eager to take Amber out.

Amber steps back and aims her gun, but the roller disappears over the edge. Shit, what was she going to do now?!

"AMBER!" Amber turns and notices Ika running at her. He then shouts "USE YOUR SPECIAL!"

Amber's eyes widen immensely. "W-What?!" How did he know about her ability?! No, now things are going to go wrong!

Ika frowns as he notices Amber freeze. What the hell was she doing? Then, he notices the roller coming down from above her. His eyes widen and he realizes he couldn't help her.

The roller raises her weapon, then brings it down onto Amber. She doesn't utter a word, her wide eyes the only sign of her surprise. She feels the immense pain on her back, then suddenly, nothing. She gets a sense of weightlessness, and then she reappears at her spawn. She blinks, then shivers in disgust. That was horrible! Is that really how respawning feels like?

Then, a whistle is heard throughout the area. All the firing stops as Judd, the judge of the turf wars, calls them all back. Amber just picks herself up and follows her team back to the lobby of the battle center.

Underneath Inkopolis is a massive pipe system, just above the old metro system. This pipe system brings the battlers in turf wars to and from the Battle Tower. The reason this worked was that the pipes used a special kind of 'universal ink' and propellant systems to make swimming quick and easy for all.

Amber pops out of the pipe and looks for Ika. She then notices him waving at her, a smile on his face. She walks over and looks over to the screen where Judd was showing the results. The bar at the bottom wavers, and then fills up with each teams' ink, showing the results.

The enemy team sighs in disappointment and Amber's other two teammates cheer in victory. Amber grins widely at the results. Ika smiles down at her, saying "First battle and you won it. Nice job Amber!"

Amber blushes at the sudden praise, her grin shrinking to a shy smile. "I never could've done it without you Ika."

Ika just shakes his head and says "No way! You definitely won that on your own power. Besides, you only died once in your first match! I died three times in mine!"

Amber just smiles at the praise, deciding to just take it. Ika then ushers her to the door and they leave the room.

They stop at the lobby on their way out to pick up their rewards. Amber looks at her hand in awe. She just got 2000 coins from that one battle! How in the world is the inflation not sky high with this kind of money being given out?!

She decides to voice her question to Ika as he takes his cash. He looks up in thought, then says "Well, I guess even with the extra cash being given here, we also have a massive abundance of food and other supplies. Inkopolis does have really big market and manufacturing areas, taking up a third of the city I believe. It balances things out." Amber just nods.

The two walk out into the city once more. Ika breathes in deeply, and then exhaling loudly. He smiles, hands on his hips, as he looks at the city. "This place is beautiful, isn't it?"

Amber nods, her mind in an awe-filled trance. The city, even though she's already seen it, was still breathtaking. The colors, the people, the abundance of joy and excitement. Amber would never want to leave this place.

"Hey Amber." Amber looks over to her companion in curiosity. Ika looks down at her, then says "If given the chance, would you protect this city?"

Amber raises an eyebrow at the odd question. She shrugs off her surprise, thinking it just another quirk of Ika's. But then… she thinks about the question seriously.

She looks out over the sea of inklings, all chatting and smiling and having an amazing time. She watches as one inkling, crippled and obviously different, is helped by a group of others. She smiles in joy, and a bit of sadness, at the amazing comradeship and kindness displayed in this city's citizens.

Amber nods, knowing her answer. "Yes, I would. This place is incredible, and the citizens are so kind. I would want to make sure anyone could come here, and keep this place a haven for all."

Ika looks at her with an odd look. "Is that so?" He smiles, then walks forwards. "Nice to know." He waves for her to follow, and the younger inkling quickly catches up.

Amber walks beside Ika and notices that they were leaving the square. She looks up at the black-haired inkling and says "Where are we going?"

Ika smiles and says "We're going to a restaurant. You need some food after all that, right?"

Just as Ika finishes speaking, Amber's stomach growls loudly. Amber blushes a deep red and Ika laughs loudly. Amber frowns, then says "Ignoring that, I just met you. Why would you take me to get some food?"

Ika just smiles and says "I like you kid, you've got a lot of talent. In fact, you remind me of Callie when she started turf wars."

Amber's eyes widen in surprise. Her, similar to one of the Squid Sisters?! Impossible. Ika notices her disbelief and just grins. "It's true. Back when we first started, she was shaking like a leaf. Despite that, she did some amazing work with a roller gramps gave her. She toughened up, and now, is one of the most talented fighters in the league."

The older inkling looks down and says "I really want you two to meet. I think you'd be quite good friends."

Amber's eyes widen even more, before a massive grin breaks out on her face. "Really?!" Ika just nods, chuckling at the young inkling's enthusiasm.

Amber fantasizes about meeting Callie. She was such a bundle of energy, and so kind! She even managed to take all of Marie's sarcasm!

Amber's excitement dims as she thinks about this. Marie always seemed rude and sarcastic, but always protective of her younger cousin. Amber never knew what to believe about the older cousin. But now, she had a family member right here to answer her questions.

Amber looks at Ika and says "So, what's Marie like?"

Ika looks at her, then says "Well… hm. Let's just say that in our little trio, she's the serious one. She keeps us in check and makes sure we don't do anything TOO reckless. Of course, she still loves to have fun, but she's much more reserved about it."

Amber takes in the information eagerly. Marie seemed so different to Ika and Callie. The siblings are so energetic, while Marie is calm and collected. It was hard to believe they were family, if not for the odd synergy those two dynamics made.

Ika suddenly taps her shoulder and points in front of them. "There it is." Amber looks up and notices a big building with the words 'Jelerico's Seafood Emporium'. The building was light blue and white, giving it a stark difference to the rainbow/gray colored buildings around them.

Ika turns to her and says "We'll grab a quick bite, then go to the store. You still need groceries right?" Amber nods her head, confirming the thought.

Ika grins, then says "Come on, time for you to taste Inkopolis food." Amber nods eagerly, her energy reignited by the prospect of trying something new. The two then go inside the restaurant.

* * *

Amber sighs in content as they leave the restaurant. Ika smiles and says "Liked it?" Amber just nods with a small smile on her face.

Ika then says "Come on, one last stop before you head home." Amber nods, remember their conversation from earlier. It was time to get groceries.

The two lapsed into a comfortable silence as they move to the restaurant. Ika kept glancing at his younger companion. She was a talented fighter, that much was certain, but something was up with her. No one would notice when just hanging out with her, but the way she froze when he told her she had a special, it wasn't normal. No one, not even the most timid or scared individuals, ever froze upon having a special.

Then again, he also noticed her fiery and defensive personality. She seemed eager to please, for both herself and others. With that kind of personality, he doubted she would tell him her issues. He had trouble just joking about her not doing well without him.

He sighs, looking forwards again. He'd just have to observe her behavior and see if he can discern her reason for not using specials. He pushes the thoughts to the side as he notices Arowana Mall in front of them.

Amber also notices the mall, then says "That's the mall, right?"

Ika nods, then says "Well, guess this is where we part ways."

Amber looks at him in surprise, not expecting that. "What?! But why?!"

Ika smiles and says "I have other things to do today. Besides, I'm sure we'll see each other again."

Amber frowns, then nods sadly. She had grown to like the older inkling and his goofy attitude. He brought an air of excitement she's never felt before.

Ika notices her somber look and smiles at her. "Hey, don't be upset. Like I said, we'll see each other again."

Amber looks up at him, then does something unexpected. She stares at him and says "Promise?"

Ika blinks at the sudden, and slightly childish, response. He smiles and nods. "Promise."

Amber smiles in satisfaction and Ika grins with her. He turns around and waves as he leaves. "I'll keep an eye out for you kid! Have fun in the big city!" Amber nods and waves back. Soon, Ika disappears into the sea of people.

Amber lowers her hand, suddenly feeling very lonely. She sighs, then turns to the mall. She walks over and enters.

It only takes a few minutes for her to grab the things she needed. She leaves with three bags of food and she begins making her way to her new home.

She quickly finds herself at the apartment complex she has already become familiar with. She enters the building and goes to her apartment. She enters and sets down all the groceries she got.

She takes them out and puts them away. By the time she was done, she realized just how tired she was. She takes a deep breath, and then she walks over to her room. She takes off her shoes and falls onto her bed.

She looks up at the ceiling, thinking about her day. She met the sibling of the famous Squid Sisters and started turf wars. Funny how this started as a simple quest to get groceries. She chuckles, turning on her side and closing her eyes. "What a day."

**-Author Notes-**

**Gonna be honest, I have no clue how inflation works. I took my best guess on what I've learned and how I THINK it works, so I'm sorry if it isn't accurate. Anyways, I hope you enjoyed this chapter!**


	4. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

Sunlight streams through the expansive city, igniting the colors within it to a new level of splendor. The buildings shone like a million stars, bright, but not painfully so, and beautiful.

It was this sight that Amber woke up to. She mumbles slightly in her sleep, shifting to her side, facing the window. The sunlight hits her eyes, making her frown and groan slightly. Sadly, she knew she wouldn't get more sleep.

She blinks slightly, turning onto her back so she didn't have to deal with the sunlight. She pushes herself up, throwing off her covers. She stands up, rubbing her eyes and yawning widely.

She goes to her closet, grabs some clothes, and leaves her room. She enters the bathroom and turns on the shower. Luckily, the entire city had purified water in their systems, cleaned by a very intricate filtering system. As long as it was clean, inklings could enter the water.

Amber feels the water, waiting for it to warm up. Once satisfied, she strips herself and steps in the shower. It only takes a few minutes for her to wash up and get out. She puts on her clothes, a simple white t-shirt and blue shorts with an orange line on the sides.

She steps out of the bathroom and into the small living room. She quickly grabs herself some breakfast and brings it to the couch, where she then sits down. She switches on the TV, wondering what was going on.

The TV automatically went to the news station, where Callie and Marie, the Squid Sisters, were the ones leading. Amber decides to watch it. She wanted to see what was going on in the city after all.

Callie and Marie were finishing up the stage announcements, looking as happy and carefree as ever. Then, their expressions seem to dim. Marie sighs, then says "Now, we have some bad news."

Callie nods, her smiles strained. "This isn't just any normal bad news either. This is serious! So you all better be listening."

Marie looks at her cousin, then says, in a very un-sarcastic voice "The Great Zapfish was stolen."

Amber's eyes widen to the size of saucers, and she nearly spits her food out. What?! The Great Zapfish, stolen?! Who the hell could've done that?!

At this point, Callie stopped smiling. Even her boundless enthusiasm was dampered by this. "We have no leads on who could've done it. It was gone before anyone could've reacted."

Marie nods sadly. "No one could've expected this, no matter how prepared they were."

Callie's smile suddenly comes back, albeit still strained, as she says "But no need to worry. The Agents are on the case as we speak!"

Marie just smirks, her normal attitude coming back as well. "If anyone can figure this out, then the Agents can. But, for now, the Battle Tower will be closed off. It is too dangerous to do turf wars without power in spawn points."

After that, the Squid Sisters panned off to other newscasters, describing the weather and such. Amber didn't stay to listen. By the time the cousins were off screen, Amber had finished her food and was walking out the door.

The orange-haired inkling walked quickly through the crowds, ignoring the chatting around her. She had one mission, and that was to see if this was true. She had no reason to think the Squid Sisters were lying, but this seemed too impossible to be real!

After a few minutes she found herself back at the square, looking up at the Battle Tower. And, despite what she was seeing, she still couldn't quite believe it. The Great Zapfish really was gone!

Amber steps back in slight shock, not sure what to do now. No turf wars meant no money for her to get easily. She had some left over, about 1500, but that could last only so long. Who knows how long the GZ could stay gone!

She frowns, then decides to look for the one person she knew could trust right now, Ika. She moves through the crowds, certain she'd find him eventually. Everyone in the city seemed to be coming here.

The young inkling then found herself next to Sheldon's shop. She looks around not seeing any sign of the tall, black-haired inkling. She frowns, then continues closer to the Battle Tower.

She pushes past one last person, finding herself at the left-hand side of the tower. There didn't seem to be anyone here, beyond the police tape set up and the policeman looking at the tower with interest.

She sighs, about to go away, when she notices something. If she had moved even a tiny bit faster, she would've missed it. She turns back to the tower, looking at the small alleyway next to it.

Amber's eyes narrow as she notices a tall figure, their long tentacles flowing freely. They were crouched in the alleyway, looking around. Amber hears the telltale noise of a grate being entered, and the figure is suddenly gone.

Amber's eyes narrow in suspicion as she notices this. The Great Zapfish disappears, and suddenly a mysterious figure is moving around the place? Seems too good to be a simple coincidence. She looks over to the cop, noticing that he didn't even see the figure. Her eyes suddenly ignite with a new determination. If no one else noticed, then she would investigate herself.

She suddenly frowns as she looks at the tape in front of her. The cops would never let her in here. So, she needed to sneak in. And the best way to do that was when it was dark, at night. She grins, plan in head, and leaves.

* * *

Night fell upon the city like a blanket, dimming the lights and quieting the normal ambiance to a calming white noise. The populace was mostly asleep, save for the few rowdy and party heavy groups. One inkling was neither of those.

She hops across the buildings with a certain amount of grace. Occasionally she would stumble or had to catch a railing, but she was doing well so far. Soon, she found herself back in the wide area of the Inkopolis Square.

The figure jumps off of the building, landing with a slight bounce. The light of the dim street lights showed the figure's features. Clad in a black t-shirt and black pants, they looked like a ninja. The most defining feature were the bright orange tentacles that acted as hair on their head.

Amber quickly runs across the square, staying in the dark as much as she could. It was late and none of the shops were open at this time, so it was empty in the square. Still, she wanted to be sure.

She slides to a stop next to Sheldon's shop, looking around for anybody. Still not seeing anyone, she moves into the dark alley near the tower. She looks around some more, still not seeing anyone.

Then, she hears a shaking. Amber freezes, then quickly dives to the side, avoiding anything that could make a loud noise. She peers around the dumpster she hid next to, looking at what could've made the noise.

A gurgling appears next, and then a figure rises from the grate. They had their tentacles in a bow, making them fall down their back. Amber couldn't discern anything else about their appearance though.

The figure walks forwards, moving quickly. Amber watches them, wondering who they were. Then, the figure stops. They seem to look around, only noticeable in the dark by the shuffling heard.

Then, Amber freezes. She didn't know how, but she knew that the figure's eyes were looking in her direction. She didn't want to move, fearful that if she did, she'd be found.

Eventually, the figure lost interest in looking around. They turn into a squid and jump onto a building, disappearing onto the rooftops.

Amber breathes out a small sigh of relief. She picks herself up, then walks over to the grate. Looking around once more to check for the figure, especially above her, she finds herself alone. She falls into the grate, wondering just where this lead to.

The pipe shot her quite the distance, made quick by the propellants in the pipe. She feels herself at the end of the pipe and re-emerged from the ink. She looks around cautiously, taking an interest in the area.

She couldn't see much in the dark, but the moon did help her. She knew she was outside the city, shown clearly by the numerous stars clear above her. And, judging by the massive shadows in the distance, she was in some sort of valley or canyon.

Frowning, she decides to keep this information in mind. For now, she noticed a small cabin and wanted to investigate.

She nears the cabin slowly, just now noticing the noises coming from it. It seemed to be an urgent talking, but it was quiet, as if the conversers didn't want to be heard. Amber wasn't sure how they could be though. This place seemed relatively empty of inklings, save the cabin and voices she could hear.

As she neared, she could begin to discern what the people were talking about. It sounded like one female voice, and one male voice.

The male one says "But we need more help for this. The Octarians have never done this before."

Amber frowns as she hears this. Octarians? What do they have to do with this?

The female voice then speaks up, making Amber focus on the conversation. "No we don't. We just need…"

Amber frowns again as the female voice suddenly becomes muffled. Before she could do anything, the male one says "Just give me a chance! I bet I could find someone!"

The female voice seems to respond, but Amber couldn't hear. She moves closer, trying to make it out, when a noise echoes through the area. Crunching. Amber's eyes go wide and she looks at her foot. She just stepped on a… crabby cake wrapper?

Despite the ridiculousness of that in a tense mission, Amber couldn't shake off the feeling of dread that washed over her. She hears some shuffling inside, and then the female says "Four, did you hear that?"

The male responds with "Yes, I did. I'll go deal with the intruder."

With that, Amber's nerves, already shot by the stress of sneaking and not being caught, couldn't handle anymore. Amber turns and runs to the grate, just barely avoiding making any noise in her panicked state. She gets to the grate and jumps in, eager to return home.

* * *

A figure watches the retreating girl with interest. He managed to get up there once he said he would investigate. He was fast, very fast.

Another figure, obviously female, appears next to him. "So, you going to go after her?"

The first figure just shakes his head. "Nope. Don't need to."

The female raises an eyebrow, looking at the shadow next to her. "Oh? Why's that?"

The male pulls down his half-face mask, showing the smile beneath it. "Because I know her. And she is definitely the one we need."

**-Author Notes-**

**A shorter chapter, but filled with some important stuff. Time to get this ball rolling, ladies and gentlemen! Hope you enjoyed!**


	5. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

Amber's mind was in a frenzy. She was constantly going over what happened last night on her little trip. Those voices, and that person that came from the grate. Who were they? Did they have some sort of connection to the Great Zapfish disappearing?

She groans in frustration, her forehead snacking against the table she was sitting at. She looks up, looking around the square. She was a small cafe to eat, but she couldn't get her mind off of what she saw last night.

Something about the whole thing was bugging her to no end. Something felt… familiar? She didn't know how to describe it, but something felt familiar in a sense to her. She was fairly certain it was the three people, but why? What did they have to do with her?

The only things she could connect to them so far was that one figure's hair tied into a bow, and the voices. But… she doesn't know anybody with hair like that! The voices were familiar, but she couldn't place who they were! She groans even louder, slamming her head into the table again.

"Woah there kid! You're gonna give yourself a concussion if you do that." Amber looks up again, only to see a white t-shirt. She looks up and sees Ika looking down at her, grinning widely.

She groans, her face falling. "I'm tired of familiar things today…"

Ika raises an eyebrow, sitting down next to her. "What are you talking about?"

Amber looks up, resting her head on her chin and looking at Ika. "Nothing important."

Ika just chuckles again, then says "Well, I have something I need to talk to you about."

Amber raises an eyebrow in curiosity. Ika stands up, ushering her to follow. "Come on, we'll talk as we walk."

Amber frowns in confusion, then pries herself from the table. She gets up and goes to Ika's side, walking with him. She looks up at the black-haired inkling, once again amazed at how freaking tall the guy was.

Ika looks down at her, then says "I would joke about you staring at me, but this is serious." Amber blushes and levels a glare on the older inkling. Ika just grins and says "So, remember that question I asked you when we met? Asking if you'd defend Inkopolis?"

Amber nods. She remembered the random question easily. It seemed odd at the time. Was he setting it up for something? Ika looks at her with a neutral expression and says "Does your answer still stand?"

Amber raises an eyebrow and nods. She wasn't going to change her answer any time soon. Ika's expression turns unreadable to her as he says "What if I gave you a chance to defend this city?"

The orange-haired inkling looks at Ika in surprise. "Wait… what?"

Ika shrugs and says "Exactly what I said. What if I gave you a chance to defend the city? Would you take it?"

Amber frowns, then looks around. Her eyes were met with the same show of friendship and prosperity. She nods, turning back to Ika. "Of course I would. But what's up with these questions?"

Ika grins widely, then says "I can answer that latter. Come on, let's go!" Ika suddenly starts running, startling his younger companion. She snaps out of her shock and begins running after Ika. "Hey, wait up!"

Amber just barely is able to keep up with the older inkling. His distinct black hair helped, along with his height. Otherwise she would've lost him long ago. She turns a corner, panting, but her eyes widen in surprise. The Battle Tower! But why are they going to the square?

She pushes the thought aside and continues following Ika through the crowd. Cod, why did he have to run off like that?! He could've pulled her along or something at the very least!

Suddenly, a wave of people seems to overtake her. She pushes through the crowd, apologizing to the random inklings around her with a blush of embarrassment on her face. She grunts, then finally manages to get out of the crowd. But then, she was met with a new problem. Ika disappeared.

Amber looks around in a slight shock and panic. Where did he go?! He was here just a second ago, she saw him! But now, he looked like he just vanished!

Then, as she was turned, an arm wraps around her waist. She yelps, then yells as she suddenly sees the ground get smaller. Was she in the air? And then she was on a… roof? What the hell?

Amber turns around in surprise, and her eyes widen even more when she sees Ika there, grinning widely at her. "W-What? Ika?! What just happened?!"

Ika grins, then says "A little trick I picked up in my line of work. Comes in handy in a lot of situations. Plus, it's pretty cool right?"

Amber looks at him in exasperation and shock, then frowns. "You could've warned me first. That was a mean trick you pulled, running away like that!"

Ika looks at her, then blushes in embarrassment. "I guess it was. Sorry about that." His grin comes back, and he says "But come on, we are very close!"

The older inkling then runs across the rooftop to the edge to their right. Amber runs over and looks down. She raises an eyebrow when she sees the alleyway that the grate she went into last night. "What are we doing here?"

Ika just says "You'll see." He smiles, then turns around to look at her. "To get where we are going, I need you to do what I do."

He spreads his arms out, his feet on the edge. "To protect the city, you sometimes need a little… faith." He suddenly begins tilting precariously. Amber's eyes widen in fear as she sees this. Despite their inky bodies, falling from this height would cause some serious damage!

As this goes through her head, Ika's balance finally loses. His body tips over the edge, making Amber's eyes wide in shock. She runs over to help, but Ika fell too fast. She looks down, then raises an eyebrow in surprise. He disappeared… again. Where did he go? She frowns, looking for the older inkling, when she looks at the grate. A splash of red ink was around it… the same color as Ika's ink.

Her eyes widen, a million thoughts going through her head. What is Ika doing in there?! Could he be one of those voices he heard? There was a male one after all.

She shakes her head, her expression turning determined. If Ika wanted her to do this, she would follow. She wasn't going to back down! She walks to the edge, positioning herself in front of the grate. She turns around, bringing her arms out. Amber takes a deep breath, then tilts back. With a strong will, she keeps herself straight, and falls.

Amber hits the grate head-on, and her body turns into ink instinctively. She flies along the tunnel, her eyes wide. She couldn't believe that actually worked!

The pipe brings her to the valley again, her body reforming into its humanoid form as it exits. She looks around, finally able to see this place in the light. There were in fact massive walls in the distance, just like she thought. She also saw numerous rock formation, looking oddly like tentacles. She saw a waterfall, along with a cove of trees surrounding a pond at the bottom. But the strangest thing were the many floating platforms throughout the valley air, floating silently, but never straying from their position.

"Looks nice, huh?" Amber looks to her side and sees Ika standing there. Amber raises an eyebrow when she sees something different about him. He was now wearing a yellow and white construction suit-esque vest, with a black long sleeved shirt beneath it. He also had a half fask mask, pulled down for now, letting her see his smile. Other than that, he had the same clothes on as before.

She frowns, then says "Where did that vest come from, and the mask?"

Ika looks at her, then says "The pipe. It is registered to me and puts this on me automatically when I exit. When I enter, it is removed and my old clothes are put on. Neat, huh?" Amber just nods, not knowing what to say to that.

Ika suddenly jumps, startling Amber. He then says "That reminds me! I need to get your suit." He runs over to a small cabin, the only building here. Amber's eyes widen as she realizes it to be the cabin from before. Was Ika really involved with this whole thing?

Ika disappears inside, only to reemerge a second later. In his hand was a similar vest to the one he was wearing. He grins, then says "Here's your armor. You'll need it."

Amber's eyes widen in surprise. "A-Armor?! I thought this was just a vest! What the hell do I need armor for?!"

Ika seems to falter, then he says "That's something I can explain later."

Amber growls, then says "No! Tell me now! I am tired of being left in the dark! Why are we here? What is this place? Why do we need armor?!"

Ika frowns, looking at Amber. He saw nothing but a strong, stubborn will in her eyes. He sighs, then says "Fine, I guess I need to explain now." He walks back to the cabin, ushering Amber to follow. She follows him silently, and the two sit on a bench outside the small building.

The older inkling looks down at the suit in his hand and says "First things first. This place is called Octo Valley, the current home of the Octarians."

Amber's eyes widen in shock and surprise. "The Octarians?! The ones who lost the Great Turf War?"

Ika nods solemnly. "Yes, those Octarians. You see, they didn't exactly lose their grudge of losing the war. They are constantly trying to mess with Inkopolis in a plan to take it over."

The younger inkling frowns at this. "But… wouldn't we know about this then? The only thing I've ever heard that could be from them is… the Great Zapfish going missing."

Ika nods. "To answer your question, yes, we believe the octarians stole the Great Zapfish. For the first, you don't know because the agents protect it from getting to the public. I am quite good at keeping things quiet after all."

Amber looks at him with a raised eyebrow. "Wait… keeping things quiet? What does that have to do with… the… agents."

Slowly, her eyes began to widen. "Hold on, are you telling me… you are an agent?"

Ika smiles, then stands up and bows, just like when she met him. "Agent 4 at your service."

Amber's eyes somehow widened even more, with sparkles in them. "W-Woah! You are really an agent?!" Ika nods. "So then who are the others, if you are Agent 4?"

Ika smiles as he sits back down. "You'd be able to tell who 1 and 2 are just by seeing them. But, to save yourself the embarrassment of possibly not figuring it out, I'll just tell you. 1 is Callie, and 2 is Marie."

If possible, Amber's eyes widened even more. Ika was half convinced they would pop out of her head. "Wait, the SQUID SISTERS are AGENTS?!"

Ika nods, expecting this reaction. Amber grins widely at this information. If she was thinking this right, then she'd finally meet the Squid SIsters! Although, she did wonder who the third agent was. Deciding to speak her mind, she says "But wait, who is Agent 3?"

Suddenly, Ika's face seems to grow solemn. "That… is not something I wish to answer. But, I know you need to know, especially if you are going to be the new Agent 3." Amber raises an eyebrow, but stays silent. She could tell this was serious.

Ika stares at the vest in his hands and says "Marie used to have a boyfriend, before she became famous. They loved each other so much, they were practically inseparable. When Callie came with the choice of joining the Agency, Marie joined without a second thought. Her boyfriend followed, and they became Agent 2 and Agent 3."

His grip on the vest tightens, and it was obvious he was diving into bad memories. "I joined shortly after, and I was the last agent, until now. We did so well, protecting the city. But then… something went wrong. Marie was our second in command due to her more serious personality and her smart mind. She was giving orders on a mission, when Agent 3 got caught trapped. Marie told him where to go, and he was led into a trap. He was killed, and Marie was forced to watch as her lover died in front of her eyes. She's never stopped blaming herself and she is afraid to take the lead again."

Amber's face had lost all of its excitement at this information. She never knew that her idol had such a harsh past. What else was there that she didn't know? And more importantly, could she help?

Ika chuckles, then says "Now you know. Do you still feel comfortable with becoming Agent 3?"

Amber frowns, thinking the same thing. She would be, in essence, replacing Marie's lover. She was barely known by Ika, and she's never even met Callie and Marie. Amber's expression turns uncomfortable, and she says "I… don't know. I want to help, but I feel like I'm intruding on your work. You barely know me, and I don't know the Squid Sisters…"

Ika stares at her, then nods. "How about this then. Why don't we ask Callie and Marie their opinion? If they say yes, then you can join, alright?"

Amber looks at him, then nods. "That's fine. But… where are we gonna find them so we can ask?"

Ika just grins and points to the grate. "I think we already found them."

Amber raises an eyebrow, then looks over to the grate. Her eyes widen in surprise when she sees two figures walking towards them. The first had long, black tentacles tied into a bow, along with shades and a beanie. The second had her short hair tied into a bow, along with a green and white cap and a surgical mask. They were both wearing the armor Ika had on, which meant one thing. They were Callie and Marie.


	6. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

When Amber dreamt about meeting the Squid Sisters, she imagined it being at a concert, lights ablaze, along with other rowdy fans around her. This… this was not what she expected.

"But Marie! I've seen her fight, she can be a useful member!" Marie shakes her head, glaring at Ika. "She is just a child, and from the looks of it, she only just turned into her bipedal form. She cannot fight!"

Amber just stares, wondering what the hell was happening. One second she was in awe at seeing her two idols, and the next, Ika is being lectured by an irritated Marie. Even Callie seemed confused.

Ika frowns, then says "Marie, you can't use her age. Me and Callie were 15 when we started!"

Marie's eye twitches, then she says "And what about battle experience? We had training from gramps long before we joined. How good is she?"

Ika freezes, then says "Um…" He turns to Amber and says "Was that Turf War your only battle?" Amber nods.

Marie gestures to Amber and says "See! She admits to having little battle experience. You can't just bring someone in like this Ika!"

Ika just frowns, then says "But… she was amazing on the battlefield. In that one match, she managed to get a kill on pure instinct, painted the most turf, AND snuck into the enemy base, when an enemy was there! She would've gone without a death too if she didn't… freeze when she got a special."

Marie raises an eyebrow and eyes Amber, filing the info Ika just gave her for later. Ika then says "She has stealth, and an innate battle sense. Not to mention a good aim. She has almost all the skills needed to be an agent."

Marie turns to Ika and says "Almost all of them? Care to tell me what the missing ones are?"

Ika frowns, then says "Besides the obvious lack of experience, she also seems to have trouble working under pressure. Also, there's that odd… issue she has with specials."

Marie's eyes narrow as she takes in the information. "Even if this is the case, she shouldn't go out there. It's dangerous, much more dangerous than anything anyone has ever done.'"

Suddenly, Callie decides to step in. "Hey guys, how about we let Amber decide? We tell her the qualifications, and she can decide whether to join."

Ika looks at his sister for a bit, before nodding with a smile. "Sure, I'm fine with that."

Callie turns to Marie expectantly. Marie stares at her cousin, then sighs. "Fine. We'll do what Callie said."

Callie grins while Ika breaths a mental sigh of relief. Ika smiles and turns to Amber. She looks at him expectantly, telling the older inkling that she knew what was going on. He then says "Alright Amber. If you wanna be an agent, you need to know some things first. One, you need to train, A LOT. If this means turf wars or just your own personal training, it doesn't matter. Just know you need to be fit and stamina filled. Two, you need good stealth skills. A lot of our missions involve sneaking around, and being loud is NOT an option. And finally, the most important part. You will be fighting a whole civilization with only us at your side."

Amber's eyes widen immensely at this. She knew they were secret agents, but a whole civilization?! How could they do that? She voices her thoughts, making Ika chuckle. "Good question. You see, we fight them through various means. Sometimes we take out an important person, or maybe we disable their factories. Or maybe we just mess with them so much they can't get anything done. No matter what happens though, we are always in the dark, far from where we can be seen. If we ever do get caught, we run like hell until we reach home."

The younger inkling's resolve seems to dim greatly at this. She knew this wouldn't be easy, but to be THIS difficult? It seemed impossible. But… she had to protect the city. If their thoughts were right, then the Octarians did something bigger than they've ever done before.

Marie sighs, not knowing what was going through the younger inkling's head. "You see, she's scared. She can't do i-" "I'll do it."

Marie freezes as she hears the sudden declaration. She turns to Amber and stutters out "W-What?"

Amber frowns, her eyes blazing with determination. "I said, I'll do it. I'll be an agent."

Marie blinks in surprise, while Ika and Callie grin, each for their own reason. Marie stares a bit longer, then coughs. Trying to gain back her dignity, she says "W-Well then, this was unexpected. Are you sure about this?"

Amber just nods and says "Absolutely."

Marie frowns, then sighs in defeat. "Alright. Ika, you still have the vest?"

Ika nods and brings it over. Marie grabs it, then walks over to Amber. "Well… um…."

Amber grins and says "Amber." Marie chuckles, then says "Well, Amber, you are now officially Agent 3. With this vest you promise to protect the city from any and all threats, no matter the cost. Do you accept this oath?"

Amber giggles at the little initiation, then nods. Marie makes a small smile, masking her inner thoughts. "Then you are one of us now."

Amber grins widely, then jumps in the air. Ika cheers with her, while Callie claps in congratulations. Marie smiles a bit, then frowns. "_She's just a kid. She can't do missions on her own. She needs assistance, but Ika won't let me help. Although, I AM a sniper. Maybe I don't need to DIRECTLY help."_

Smiling with her plan in mind, she walks over to the group. Ika was talking, saying "Alright. Now that you are an agent, you need a weapon. From what you used earlier, I already thought of the best one."

Ika reaches behind him, then shows Amber her new weapon. Amber's eyes go wide with awe, and there's no wonder why. The weapon was a shooter, that much was certain. It had a sleek black and yellow design, along with an odd contraption on top. It had softly glowing blue lights in it, shining just a bit in Ika's hands. Amber takes the weapon hesitantly, then says "F-For me?"

Ika nods. "That is the Hero Shooter. It is a military grade weapon designed to hit harder than normal weapons, specifically to punch through armor. You need that in the field, as almost all the Octarian soldiers wear high-grade armor."

Amber grins widely, then hugs Ika, startling the older inkling. "Thank you!" She pulls back, a small blush of embarrassment on her face. She coughs, then says "S-So, what do I do now?"

Ika grins and says "I believe a mission is in order to test out your skills some more. Right guys?" Callie nods, Marie more reluctantly.

Before Amber can voice her thoughts, Ika pulls out his phone. He frowns, looking at the available missions. "Aha!" He grins and says "Here's one! Low skill enemies, only a few of them, and a lot of cover. No octolings either. It should be simple."

Amber goes over and looks over Ika's shoulder to see a display on it. It showed a map, along with various enemies inside and their skill, if known.

Ika scrolls down, then shows her a set of numbers. "You can jump using coordinates, right?" Amber nods. That was a skill almost all young inklings learned early on.

Getting his answer, Ika then says "Alright. One more thing before you depart." He runs back to the cabin, then returns with what looked like a headset. Ika hands the headset to Amber and says "This headset will let you communicate with us on missions, along with telling you when your armor is in critical condition. If it beeps red, get to cover and proceed with extreme caution. We can't fix vests until we get here."

Amber nods in understanding, then puts her headset on. Oddly enough, she could still hear outside of it, despite the device completely covering her ears. Ika, seeing that she was now ready, says "Alright Agent 3. Good luck out there!"

Amber grins and nods. She takes one more look at the coordinates, then she turns into a squid and blasts into the air. She flies for just a couple seconds before landing in another area of the valley.

She lands with a small thud and converts back to her humanoid form. She looks around, wondering what to do now. Suddenly, some static is heard in her ear, and then a voice. "Three! Can you hear me?"

Amber nods, slightly relieved to hear Ika's voice. "Yeah, I can hear you Ika."

There was a slight pause, then Ika says "Hey, don't call me by my real name out here, alright? We go by agent numbers as long as one of us is in the field."

Amber frowns, then says "Sorry." Ika chuckles, then says "No need to worry. Just don't do it again. Anyways, see that kettle beneath you?"

Amber blinks, then looks down. There was in fact a kettle there. Voicing her confirmation, Ika then says "Alright. Go into the kettle. It'll take you to that area's cavern. Your target location should be to the right of the kettle exit."

The younger inkling nods, then slips through the bars. She feels herself blast through the pipe at high speeds, quickly reaching her destination.

Amber pops out of the kettle, then looks around cautiously. There were buildings around her, but she seemed to be in some sort of alley. Ika's voice then says "Jump up."

Amber nods, then super jumps up to the roof tops. She hers Ika curse suddenly, and then he says "Sorry. You didn't know this, or how to jump silently, but try not to super jump your missions. They are noisy and could attract unwanted attention."

The new agent frowns, then nods. She looks to her right, remembering what Ika said earlier. She narrows her eyes when she still sees nothing but buildings. Deciding to jump in, Ika says "You see that large warehouse?"

Amber looks for a bit, before noticing the big building on the outskirts of the area. Ika then says "Your target is inside. Hurry over there."

Needing no other initiative, Amber quickly runs across the various buildings to the warehouse. She looks around in curiosity, but also nervously. The area was quiet, eerily so. She shivers unconsciously, then focuses on her mission.

Amber leaps across the last building, landing on the rooftop a few feet from the warehouse. She jumps over to warehouse roof, moving quieter now that she knew enemies were beneath her.

She quickly moves over to a small skylight (which seemed unneeded underground, but whatever), and opens up the small entrance panel. She grips the edge, then silently lowers herself onto the metal walkway.

Ika watches the whole thing with a small smile, Callie and Marie right behind him. "Not even half done with her first mission and she already knows some of the more basic stealth tactics. Impressive for a beginner."

Callie nods. "She's so good, you'd think she's done this before. Right Marie?"

For a bit, no response was given. Callie and Ika turn around, Ika saying "Marie?" Behind them was a distinct lack of silver and green. Ika looks for a bit, then turns back to the screen. He suddenly sees a flash of green, just for a split second, through the cameras. He frowns, knowing exactly what this was.

Amber slowly makes her way across the walkway, careful to keep her steps as quiet as possible. She had looked down earlier to see a couple enemies moving about, two of them guarding a small, bulb-like container. She instantly knew that bulb was her target. Guard meant something important.

After what felt like an agonizingly slow walk, she finally reaches a set of, thankfully, stone stairs. She gets off the walkway and made her way down to the next walkway. She continues down until she reached the bottom of the warehouse.

Amber looks around, quickly locating an enemy. Just as she is about to shoot, Ika says "Careful when you shoot Three. Those weapons may be silenced, but ink splatters can bit a bit too loud."

Amber frowns and nods. Instead of shooting the enemy, she decided to look for a different way around. She turns to the other pathway through the various crates, peeking out to see if the enemy was there.

She blinks in surprise when she notices the enemy gone. She frowns and steps out cautiously. She moves forwards slowly, looking for any sign of the enemy she was sure was there just a bit ago.

Soon, Amber finds herself at the next corner. Her frown deepens as she looks back. Seeing no one there, she decides to ignore it for now. She never noticed the splatter of green ink between the crates.

Amber peeks around the corner and sees one enemy guarding the back path to the upper area she needed to reach. She carefully brings her gun around the corner and aims down the sights. Then, she pulls the trigger.

The ink flies silently through the air, before hitting the odd tentacle that was her enemy. The Octarian barely has time to register it was hit before it was knocked off of its pedestal. It hits the ground and doesn't move again.

Amber breathes out a sigh of relief, stepping around the corner. She quickly makes her way to the stairway, pausing at the Octarian's body. She stares for a bit, then shakes her head and continues forwards.

Callie chuckles and says "She's already better with kills than you are." Ika just grumbles to himself in response, making Callie giggle.

Amber runs up the stairs to the raised platform in the middle of the warehouse. The bulb was in front of her, and the guards were staring ahead. She walks up slowly and carefully, not willing to take it quickly.

She sneaks up behind the first Octarian, then slams the butt of her gun onto the Octarian's head. It crumples like a puppet with its strings cut and falls to the ground, its pedestal sitting there silently.

Amber turns to the other Octarian, only to blink in surprise. The other guard was lying on the ground, a small patch of green ink on its chest.

Amber looks around, surprised, and wondering what just happened. She doesn't see anyone, then shrugs. She turns to her target within the bulb.

It was a small, yellow catfish, electricity coming off of its body constantly. It stares at her with wide, fearful eyes, but otherwise makes no noise.

Amber looks at the bulb, wondering how to get the zapfish out, when she notices a panel. She opens the panel, then grabs the zapfish. She gasps quietly when the electricity zaps her, but she held on. The wires in the bulb detach from the fish, and Amber holds it close to her.

She looks around, not seeing any enemies. Deciding her next course of action, she runs back the way she came, up to the rooftop. She gets on the roof and runs across the other rooftops, back to the small alley the kettle was located in. She takes a deep breath, then says "Hang on little zapfish. This is going to be a bumpy ride."

Amber eyes the kettle, then falls off the building. She closes her eyes, waiting for the impact she half expected to happen. Instead, she feels her body convert to ink and fall into the kettle. She shoots back up to the surface, appearing on the kettle entrance.

Ika, after a while of silence, finally says "Nice job Three. Come back home." Amber nods, then super jumps towards the cabin.

She lands on the ground, still holding the zapfish. Callie comes over and grabs the little fish, bringing it somewhere. Amber looks at Ika and says "Did I do good?"

Ika nods with a grin. "You were amazing! Tell me, what happened to that fear I saw in turf wars?"

Amber frowns, then says "I was still scared, but I didn't let it get to me. It also helped that there were so few enemies!"

Ika nods, a twitch in his eye as he knew why. "Right. Anyways, it's time for you to go back to Inkopolis. We can continue a later time."

Amber frowns in disappointment, then nods. She waves at Ika, who returns the gestures. Then, the young inkling jumps into the pipe, returning home.

"So, you finally returned. How was the little trip, Marie?" Marie frowns as she walks to Ika. "What trip? I just went to check on the kettles."

Ika turns around and glares at his cousin. "Don't lie to me Marie. I saw you on Amber's cameras."

Marie looks at her cousin, then sighs. "I should've known you would've found out." Ika raises an eyebrow, and Marie puts her hands up defensively. "She's too young! She needed help!"

Ika sighs, then says "I would argue, but I am in a good mood. We'll talk about this later." Ika walks to the cabin and enters without another word, leaving Marie standing there, wondering if she made a mistake.


	7. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

"Alright Three. You ready for your next mission?"

Amber nods in response to Ika's question. It has been about a week since she joined the agency, and she had taken a good grasp at what she was doing. Her aim was improving, along with her confidence, and she was quickly becoming a great agent.

Ika still supervised her on screen, while making sure Marie didn't interfere unless needed. Safe to say his older cousin was not happy about that.

Either way, Amber was a welcomed part of the group. She now frequently hung out with Ika, and the two got along just fine. Ika's prediction was also true as the young inkling and the hyper Callie were instant friends. Amber… still needed a little work on breaking Marie out of her formal shell.

Right now though, her thoughts were not on the past. She was currently focused on her next mission. It was a simple one, but definitely a bit louder than before. She was currently tasked with infiltrating an Octarian arena and disabling a recently activated octoweapon.

An octoweapon is a large machine that were used by the Octarians in the Great Turf War. They are extremely powerful and often covered in ink resistant platings. One needed to destroy a tentacle hidden on the machine to destroy the machine, or simply remove the power source. Since removing the power source within the ink-filled machine is practically suicidal, most opt to destroy the tentacle.

Amber's mission was a bit different to defeating an octoweapon in battle though. The machine was activated, yes, but not operating. It would not attack and would simply gather energy until it is needed.

All Amber had to do is go in, remove what is giving the machine energy, and get out. Simple… most of the time. There was always that minuscule chance that the machine can react violently to the intrusion, but that was EXTREMELY low when they are charging.

Amber was recently given the rundown by Ika. She was to go to the boss kettle within their lookout, the only one they currently had full access to with no issues. Once inside, she would navigate the area to the arena, where the octoweapon was being charged. She would then disable it, and get out.

Ika looks at Amber and says "It should be simple, but there is always the potential of something going wrong. Be sure to be on guard at all times."

Amber nods, taking her Hero Shot out. Ika crosses his arms and then says "And have you been practicing your hopping?" In response, Amber jumps into the air, landing on the roof of the cabin. Ika grins and nods in approval.

Hopping was a little technique military, or agent, inklings and octolings used frequently. It simply involved them making their legs slightly inky, and then compacting them tightly. Once they jumped, their legs would loosen rapidly and they would go high into the air, like a spring. This enabled them to jump much higher than normal, able to easily reach the roof of two-story buildings. Amber could do that, but she's heard from Callie that Ika can get up to five stories high and a quarter of the way across the valley in single jump. Considering the sheer size of the valley, that was incredibly impressive. Then again, movement was Ika's thing.

As Amber takes her things, she thinks about this a bit. Each of the agents had their own 'specialty', as they called it. Ika's were movement, assassinations (although he was a bit weird with this for some reason), and infiltration. Callie was a front-liner, and could take a lot of hits, despite her smaller size. Marie was the commander, and also their sniper. She was the most level-headed and logical of them all.

And then came Amber. Amber had yet to find her 'specialty', though she refused to call it that. Specialty was a little too close to her discomfort zone. Anyways, she believed herself to be a combination of the three. She could plan on the fly, was good at sneaking, and recently found out she was good with a lot of weapons, be it front-line, support, or mid-range. She was a jack of all trades, master of none type.

By the time she finished her line of thought, she had managed to reach the kettle. She clicks her headset and says "I'm going in now."

There is a little bit of static, then Ika says "Alright. We're going quiet unless needed. Good luck." Amber smiles and nods, then jumps into the kettle.

After the familiar rush passes her, Amber looks around where she was deposited. It was similar to the first area, but the dome around her was showing a simulation of day time. Despite her being wary and untrusting of the Octarians, she felt kinda sad they had to use giant screens just to see some semblance of the outside word. It was extremely disheartening.

Amber shakes her head, clearing the thoughts. She could think on them later. For now, she had a mission. Amber quickly jumps up, landing on a rooftop. She looks around, taking in the tightly packed buildings. Every time she saw the conditions of these little towns, she was taken aback by the poverty. It was something she never saw in Inkopolis.

Once again forcing the thoughts aside, she quickly bounds across the buildings to the arena. It was nothing more than a big, circular platform on the outskirts of the town. It was mainly used for testing the weapons, but was also the weapons' place of stay.

The young inkling lands on the last roof, looking around for any octolings or octarians. Seeing no one around her, she jumps down and quickly runs across the street to the entrance of the arena. She hops across the gap, ignoring the booth operating the retractable bridge. She lands on the other side and walks forwards, looking around warily.

The arena was empty, save for a large cube on the opposite side of her location. Amber frowns and she sees a zapfish stuck in its light bulb cage, giving energy to the cube. "_That must be the weapon. Odd looking weapon, but it doesn't matter. Let's get this over with."_

Amber walks over to the large machine, analyzing it. It seemed to be nothing more than a giant metal cube. In fact, even the platings on it were inkable. What kind of machine was this?

She circles it, looking for more, when her whole body stiffens. It was something that she developed rather quickly in the last week, constantly being in high-threat situations. If her body stiffened, something was wrong.

"Well well well, look what we have here boys." Amber slowly turns around, her grip on her gun extremely tight. She looks at the entrance of the arena to see three octolings watching her, grinning widely. There was one female, which looked to be the leader, and two males behind her.

The female grins even wider, her sharp fangs glinting in the light. "Seems like we finally found that mystery agent that's been running around."

One of the males chuckles deeply and says "Turns out the mystery agent is nothing more than some little girl!"

The males proceed to laugh loudly, while the female grins even wider. She then says "Come on little girl, come with us and you won't die. We just want some info."

Amber just narrows her eyes and doesn't speak. If the octoling is threatening you, do not speak. They are an enemy and will require your full attention. The female octoling eyes Amber a bit, then says "A quiet one huh? Well, if you won't come with us, then we'll show you why you don't play with the big kids."

Once the leader said this, the other male presses a button in the control shed. Amber's eyes widen as the arena begins to shake, mostly behind her. Amber stumbles a bit while the octolings laugh. "Have fun with Octostomp!" And with that, the octolings all depart.

The shaking begins to decrease, but Amber was still wary. Suddenly, she hears an odd sound of surprise and fear. She turns around, and then backs up rapidly in shock. A tentacle was coming out of the top of the cube, grabbing the zapfish. The tentacle then rips the zapfish from the wires the bulb was connected to, pulling it into the machine.

A spark of electricity arks across the machine, making Amber eye it warily. Then, it hops into the air. It turns upright, and Amber finally sees what this thing was. It had a giant face on one side, coated in Octarian ink. Underneath it was a pair of small legs, somehow keeping the thing up.

Amber gulps, then presses her headset. "Four? Come in Four. I need assistance."

Some static is heard, and then Ika's concerned voice appears. "Three? What is it? Something go wrong?"

Amber chuckles grimly, backing up slowly. The machine was looking around, but somehow didn't notice her yet. Though, it was only a matter of time. "You know that tiny, tiny chance of the octoweapon attacking?"

Amber just gets silence, and then "Don't tell me…" Amber chuckles grimly again. "Yeah, it is attacking." The machine suddenly trains its eyes on her, staring at her. "And I think it noticed me."

The machine stares a bit more, then roars loudly. It begins to run quickly at Amber, but nowhere as quick as the young inkling. Amber's eyes widen and she yelps in surprise, running the opposite direction. Ika then hops in and says "Three! Tell me what the machine looks like!"

Amber turns around a bit, then says "It's a big cube with a face on one side. It also has these tiny legs somehow supporting the whole thing."

Amber hears a sigh, and then Ika says "Ok. I was worried it was an Octo Shower or something similar. Anyways, that is an Octostomp, and one of the easiest octoweapons to deal with. All you have to do is attack the tentacle after it tries to 'stomp' you with its face!"

Amber raises an eyebrow from the weird advice, when she hears the machine behind her roar again. She turns around, and her eyes widen in surprise as the whole machine jumps into the air. Seeing it was trying to land on top of her, Amber quickly dives to the side.

The machine lands and makes a massive shock wave, pushing Amber back a bit more. Amber gets up, rubbing her head, and sees the machine on the ground, struggling to get up. She looks up and sees a tentacle, and she realizes that that was her target.

The young inkling quickly hops on top of the machine and fires at the tentacle. The appendage begins to bulge outwards, covered in orange, and then explodes. Amber shields her eyes from the ink, and then hisses as a drop of purple ink hits her hand. She quickly jumps away, watching as purple ink spews out of the place the tentacle was once at.

The Octostomp shakes violently, and then another tentacle pops out. It flails around a bit, then re-enters the Octostomp. The giant cube hops back onto its feet, and then does something disturbing. Its face pops out, making Amber step back in disgust, and then the face resets. An arc of electricity goes across its sides, and its sides begin to spark dangerously.

Amber eyes the electrified sides warily, already telling herself not to touch them. The machine roars loudly, then begins charging her down again. Amber instantly begins running, trying to keep an eye on the machine at all times.

She was doing quite well, when the machine suddenly seems to speed up. Her eyes widen in surprise, and she tries to run faster. However, she couldn't run fast enough. But, even if her legs couldn't move that fast, she had another way to move.

Amber sprays the area in front of her with ink, then quickly dives into it. Her body automatically converts into its inky squid form, quickly swimming across the ink she put down. She was able to stay ahead of the Octostomp now, but it still was moving very fast.

Then, the machine jumps into the air once more. Amber quickly jumps out of her ink, creating another trail, and swims away. The Octostomp slams into the ground, and then something strange happens. The electricity on its sides begins to arc to the ink, electrifying it rapidly. Amber's eyes widen and she jumps out of the ink, just as the volts of electricity hits where she once was.

Her body turns back to normal, and she stares at the ink in surprise. She didn't think ink could conduct electricity! She suddenly hears a loud clanking sound, and she looks up. The Octostomp was shaking, trying to get back up. Remembering what she was here for, she quickly hops over the electrified ink and begins to attack the tentacle.

Same as last time, the tentacle bursts into orange ink. Remembering what happened last time, Amber quickly jumps back before the purple ink could hit her.

The Octostomp produces another tentacle, then hops back up. It shakes violently, and then electricity begins to arc to the ground around it, like a barrier. Amber eyes the lightning and says to herself "It can electrify ink, which means I need to be careful when swimming. And now, it has a much larger radius. I need to stay far from it to be uninjured."

The electric cube roars loudly, then begins to charge her down once more. Amber quickly makes a trail of ink and runs away, not wanting to get hit by the barrier of electricity. She also had to frequently jump from one trail of ink to another, keeping them separate, else she get electrocuted.

After only a few moments, Amber finally sees the Octostomp jump into the air. Quickly diving into another trail separate to the one she was in, she just barely avoids the electric field around the machine. She could feel her body shiver and tense as it passes by the electricity.

Not wasting a single opportunity, Amber quickly gets out of the ink and jumps towards the Octostomp. She manages to get far over the electric field, and lands on top. She fires at the tentacle, and it quickly bursts apart. She jumps away and watches to see if there was more.

The cube seems to jerk suddenly, and then a loud clanking fills the air. Amber watches, disturbed, as the legs connected to the machine begin to spin faster and faster. Then, they just stop. Amber eyes the machine warily as it begins to smoke, and then… it explodes. Amber's eyes widen as orange ink sprays all across the arena, covering the whole thing. She quickly covers her eyes so she doesn't get blinded.

Amber uncovers her eyes, looking around in only slight awe at the amount of ink around her. She then hears another crackle of electricity, making her go on guard. She looks at where the Octostomp once was, and sees the zapfish there, still stuck in the giant light bulb.

Amber quickly runs over, then smashes the zapfish out of the prison it was in. Amber then activates her headset and says "I beat the Octostomp and got the zapfish powering it. I'm returning now."

She hears a bit of static, then Ika says "Good, but be careful. I can see multiple hostile signatures converging on your location. I recommend getting to the rooftops as soon as possible."

Amber nods, then quickly begins to run. As she does so, she can begin to hear multiple voices coming from the town in front of her. She curses, knowing exactly why. Her battle may have been ignored with the Octostomp roaring, but that last explosion would've set off alarm bells in people's heads and around town.

The young agent jumps across the gap between the arena and the street, quickly running across. She only had a few more feet to go, when she hears "There she is!"

Amber looks to her right in shock and sees multiple octolings, maybe ten of them, running at her. She curses to herself, then quickly jumps onto the building, tightening her hold on the zapfish slightly as she does so. Using her hopping skills, she quickly bounds across the rooftops with ease.

She suddenly sees a glob of ink fly past her head, just barely missing. Her eyes widen as she realizes that she was being fired at. Her armor could block some attacks, but not for long. She needed to get out of there, and FAST.

Amber compresses her legs a bit more, and suddenly she was bounding much further than before. She looks around for the alley she needed, and then she finally notices it. She quickly turns towards it, not letting up on her speed in the slightest.

One of the octolings following her across the rooftops clicks a button on her shades and says "The target is going for the kettle! All units, get to the alley as quickly as possible! We can't let her through!"

Amber was close to the alley, when she hears multiple voices coming from all over. She couldn't hear much from the distance they were at, but she could discern some words. Alley. Kettle. Stop her.

She knew enough that the octolings were going to try and stop her from getting into the kettle. She grits her beak, then quickens her step. Now, she just needed speed, not distance. Returning her legs to normal, she runs as fast as her 14 year old body could take her.

As the voices grew louder, she knew she was cutting it close. She finally reaches the alleyway and instantly jumps down. The kettle was right beneath her... "STOP HER!"

Time seems to slow as Amber looks to her right. An octoling had a charger trained on her, already firing. The ink trail flies at her slowly, her decent just as slow. Then, before she even recognized things were normal again, she was already in the kettle.

The ink splatters on the wall behind where Amber once was, just barely missing her as the kettle pulled her in quicker. The sniper curses loudly, then radios his commanders. "Target escaped. Mission failed." The octoling then gets up and walks away, disappointed in his failure.

* * *

A lone soldier runs into the dark room, nothing lighting it up other than the many screens flashing with different scenes. The octoling kneels at the doorway and says "Octavius sir, the agent escaped. We were unable to apprehend her."

The long figure in the room twirls a glass of wine absentmindedly. "Is that so? Anything else to report?"

The octoling thinks a bit, then says "Despite being active in the field for only a week, she displayed incredible skills with aim, planning, and evasive maneuvers. She even seemed more adept at hopping than the soldiers stationed in the lookout."

The figure adjusts his suit a bit, humming in consideration. "Hm, very interesting indeed. I will report this to Octavio as soon as possible. Dismissed."

The octoling soldier bows his head and says "Sir." He then quickly walks away. Octavius always freaked him out.

The figure once again looks at the screens in front of him. "It seems that my plans will need to be postponed to account for this… unseen factor."

Blood red eyes narrow as they view two screens in particular. "And here I thought the previous agent's death would be enough. How foolish of me. I certainly hope you are better than your predecessor, Agent 3."

Two screens suddenly seem to become more focused and clear. One showed the new Agent 3 expertly avoiding the Octostomp and its special electric attacks made to conduct through ink.

The other showed a single inkling, surrounded by octolings on all sides. Just before a flurry of ink hits the agent, two discerning features were shown. A single ring on his ring finger, and a black cape emblazoned with a large, white 3.


	8. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

The day was going good so far for Amber. She had a day off from missions, but she still went to Octo Valley and hung out with Ika as he guided his cousin and sister on missions. The older inkling often showed her some basic tips and tricks for her missions, but today was different.

She pops out of the pipe leading to the valley, the pipe automatically outfitting her with her hero gear. She grins and waves to Ika, who had already noticed her presence in the area. Currently, he was looking at their computer, watching something.

Amber grins as she walks over. "Those two already on another mission?"

Ika just nods and says "Another mid-class termination mission. I can't believe how many Octarians are around. They don't even do much compared to the Octolings."

Amber just shrugs and nods. Her commander turns to her and says "Wanna watch them do the mission?"

Amber blinks, then grins and nods. Ika pulls up a chair for her to sit on, and they watch the mission play out. The younger inkling blinks in surprise as she realizes that the video was from ABOVE the Squid Sisters, not from one of their headset cameras. "This isn't from their cameras. How are you getting an aerial view?"

Ika grins and says "I just got a new drone to test out from Sheldon. It'll let us view the battles from above, letting us tell the operative if anything unknown is coming. Plus, it has some sort of camouflage ability to keep itself invisible mid flight."

Amber whistles and says "That's pretty cool." Ika just nods with a smile, and the two focus on the mission playing out on screen.

The two cousins were like a machine as they moved through the floating platforms the Octarians were posted on. The smaller, tentacle-like creatures had no chance against the two as they went through the horde like it wasn't even there.

Amber's eyes were wide in awe as she sees Callie fend off at least five Octarians from attacking Marie, while the older inkling blasted three more Octarians in quick succession. "They're… so good! They move so smoothly with each other… like clockwork."

Ika nods his head in agreement. "They are incredibly skilled. Despite us being siblings, Callie works better with Marie than she does me. I prefer the lone wolf route on most occasions."

Amber nods, and the two focus on the battle once more. Ika, deciding to get a closer look, switches to Marie's headset cam.

The screen flickers, then switches to a new view. Here, they could both see from Marie's perspective, and hear what she was saying. Marie turns to another Octarian preparing to fire at her and blasts it before the small creature can react.

"Take that, and that!" Marie turns to the direction of the sound to show Callie slamming her roller on Octarians, often creating a wave of ink in the process to take out even more. Marie then yells "Agent One, stop messing around and focus on your sides and back!"

To prove her point, Marie raises her charger and blasts an Octarian Commander ready to unload on the unaware magenta inkling. Callie yelps, then says "O-Oh, right! Thanks Two." Marie just waves her off, then continues to fire at the Octarians.

Ika presses a few buttons, and the screen switches to Callie's perspective. They watch as the hyper inkling crushes the Octarians with her roller, often having to swing in order to hit some far away targets. But, because her roller only had so much range, she had to take cover or keep moving to avoid Snipers and Commanders.

Ika frowns, then clicks a button on his headset. "Sniper to your left One." Callie just nods, shown by the camera going down then back up, and she turns to her left. Roller high in the air, she sends a thin line of ink that hits the Sniper dead center, splatting it and a couple more unfortunate Octarians in the way.

Amber's eyes narrow as her eyes dart across the screen. "Two Snipers in the back posts, one Commander closer to her left, and one… oh, Marie took that one out. Does Callie know this?"

Ika frowns, noticing the same thing. He watches Callie's actions, watching as she keeps batting away Octarians, moving closer to the Snipers in the back. One of the Snipers, now in range, fires at her. Callie yelps and jumps to the side, the beam barely missing. Ika hums in irritation as he notices this. "One, focus around you! You can't just go crazy like that with Snipers nearby."

Callie just grins sheepishly and says "S-Sorry. I guess I got too excited."

Ika just says "No matter, just focus on the battle. Their numbers are dwindling, but all they need is one good shot to take you down."

Callie nods, then proceeds more carefully. Certain that his sister can handle things on her own, Ika switches back to the drone cam. He grabs the controller for it and swivels the camera around, watching as Callie and Marie took out the remaining dozen or so Octarians.

But, just as he was turning back to the battle, something caught his eye. His eyes narrow as his gaze focuses on the kettle entering this place. Five figures emerge, all geared with a shooter and some sort of metal armor. Each of them had octopus like tentacles.

Amber gasps, noticing the same thing Ika did. "Octolings! And that one in the front, that looks like an elite!"

Ika nods grimly. Elites normally had green seaweed strapped to their goggles, flowing behind them. They also had more black colored tentacles than the normal red, making them easy to identify. However, they were identifiable for a reason. Elites were just that, elites. The best of the best. One of them was enough to keep Ika on his toes and Callie serious, and Marie often away from the battle. Luckily for them, Elites were few and not often seen. Still, seeing one here meant something was wrong.

Ika stands up and says "Watch the cameras Amber. I need to go deal with this Elite." Amber nods, and Ika super jumps towards where the battle would soon take place.

Amber's eyes roam the screen, showing the slowly advancing octolings and the exhausted Callie and Marie resting in the back of the floating platforms. It didn't look like the Squid Sisters noticed the octolings yet. Amber frowns and bites her lip in nervousness, watching anxiously for Ika to appear.

The team of five octolings began to spread out, forming a small, unseen perimeter around the Squid Sisters. The two cousins seem to suddenly freeze up, having the same sense that Amber developed. They knew something was wrong.

The octolings circle around the the now on guard inklings, hiding in wait for their superior's orders. They had planned to take the enemy by surprise by attacking from multiple fronts. Even if a few of them went down, at least one of the inklings below would be taken out. This tactic was their downfall.

As Amber was watching, one the octolings suddenly jerks, then falls over limp. Amber's eyes narrow as she sees the octoling fall unconscious. Then, another one goes. Her eyes snap over, wondering what was going on.

Then, she sees it. Ika was sneaking around, almost unnoticeable in the natural shadows around the place. He reaches the third octoling, then presses a few specific spots on the octoling quite hard. The octoling seems to tense up and freeze, and then Ika sends a hard chop to top of their neck. The octoling crumples without a word, knocked out.

Amber's eyes were wide in awe as she saw Ika in work. She knew Ika was a stealth and assassination master, but this was far beyond what she expected. She knew what Ika was doing. Biology was important to inklings to understand how their bodies reacted to different ink simply based on colors and how they turned into squids. Ika was pressing certain pressure points on the body to tense and lock up the body from moving for a few seconds, then sending a hard hit to a knockout pressure point located just above the spine, at the base of their skull. Even if inklings had few bones, skulls and spines were still essential for their much less forgiving land environment.

Ika quickly places the knocked out octoling on the ground silently, quickly moving to the next one. The fourth octoling looks up at the Squid Sisters, then frowns as a nagging feeling hits his head. He hears a sudden scrapping on the ground and turns, muttering "What?" in the process.

Suddenly, an inkling clad in completely black clothing comes out of the shadows like some sort of wraith. Gold eyes narrowed in absolute concentration, along with being the only visible part of his face, gave him a frightening image.

The octoling's eyes widen and he raises his gun to fire, but Ika was quicker. He leaps forward and presses a few points on the octoling's arms. As his arms go limp, he feels his body freeze up as a severe pain comes from certain points on his body. Then, he feels a sharp pain on his neck, and his world goes black. This all happened within three seconds.

The gun falls to the ground, hitting it with a soft clank on the metal platform. Ika curses, then quickly retreats into the shadows. The Elite's guard suddenly raises exponentially as she hears the sound from one of her teammate's spot.

She frowns, her trained eyes darting around in worry and concentration. Suddenly, her danger sense flare wildly. She jumps to the side, barely avoiding Ika's strikes to her side. The Elite grits her beak as she sees the inkling in front of her. "Agent 4, the Blood Wraith."

Ika straightens up, and red ink forms around his hands. Suddenly, his brush appears in hand, and he lowers himself into a fighting stance. The octoling frowns, holstering her gun and grabbing her own Octobrush. "So it's true. You can store your brush within your body as ink. You will be a formidable opponent."

Ika doesn't respond and simply narrows his eyes. Seeing no other reason to wait, he launches forward, swinging his brush in a high arc. The octoling blocks it with the handle of her own brush, then quickly maneuvers around it and sends her own attack at Ika. Ika jumps back, then rushes back in quickly.

Amber's eyes widen as she sees Ika and the Elite become a blur of red and black, little being seen from their high speed battle. It was at this moment Amber knew exactly how far she had to go in order to be one of the best. Ika was the best fighter in the league for reason…

While the fight was progressing, Callie and Marie slowly went towards the kettle. They figured that whatever got their senses on high alert, Ika was handling it. They knew he was here from the red ink they could see flying around, but they knew the purpose for his presence. _Get out while I have them distracted_. They needed no other indicators before they began running to the kettle at full speed, dropping stealth for speed. They managed to get in without any trouble.

Ika's eyes flicker to the kettle for just a second, just enough for him to process Callie and Marie exiting the area. He quickly ducks under another swing, then jumps back rapidly. Using his hopping, he quickly enters the kettle and disappears.

The octoling pants slightly, one eyebrow raised in confusion. She looks around, then quickly runs to her closest ally. The octoling was on the ground, unmoving. The Elite quickly feels for a pulse, then breathes out a sigh of relief.

She looks around and notices her other comrades also unconscious. "So ruthless and skilled, and yet… not a single kill. Not one…"

* * *

Ika lands on the lookout with a sigh of relief. "No kills. Thank Kami…"

As he walks through the arch leading to their 'HQ', he was instantly assaulted by two very hyper and very worried inklings.

Callie grips Ika tightly and says "Oh Ika, you had me worried sick! Elites aren't easy to take down…"

Amber nods, looking up at Ika from where she was hugging him. "I knew what you were doing, but you still had me worried. How did you manage to fight her at those speeds?!"

Marie chuckles from behind the trio, pulling down her surgical mask to show her small smile. "Ika is incredible with his speed and stealth. That Elite is more lucky he backed out instead of fighting fully."

Ika just chuckles, a small blush on his face. "It wasn't THAT impressive! It was just what I normally do."

Callie finally unlatches herself from Ika and plants her hands on her hips. She frowns and says "Stop selling yourself short Ika. You are amazing!" Ika just chuckles in embarrassment, his blush increasing.

Marie then walks over to Ika. "Other than the octolings, the mission was a success. However…"

She turns to Callie, and Ika gazes at her as well. Callie looks between them, then sighs. "I know, I need to be more serious."

Marie frowns and says "Callie, this isn't a game like turf wars. You can be killed out there. I don't want to lose you."

Callie blushes and looks away, her feet messing with the ground. She just nods, then walks away. Marie sighs and says "She needs to have more training. She still can't seem to focus on multiple things at once."

Ika just nods, looking at Callie as she walks away. "Thanks for the report Marie. Just put it in the computer for gramps to look over when he gets back."

Marie nods, then walks to the computer. Ika looks at Amber and says "I need to go help Callie. You can train if you'd like, but we don't have any more missions until tonight."

Amber nods, and Ika walks over to where Callie went. Amber frowns, then walks to the grate. Today she saw her idols and Ika in action for the first time. They were so much more skilled than she was. She needed more training!

As she steps on the grate, she turns to where Callie went with worry. She trusted Ika, but something seemed wrong with Callie. While it was always depressing for someone to point out your flaws, it seemed to be especially true with Callie. Amber sighs, then falls into the grate, returning to Inkopolis. She could only hope it wasn't something too bad.

* * *

A single octoling elite steps into the room filled with cameras. She kneels and says "Octavius sir, I have something to report."

The octoling within the room turns around, his blood red eyes narrowing at the sight of the octoling's form. "This better be important Terra. I have important matters to deal with."

The Elite known as Terra nods and says "It is sir. It has to do with Agent 4."

Octavius raises one eyebrow in curiosity. "Go on…"

Terra looks at him and says "Agent 4 once again was confirmed to not have killed. He managed to catch me and my team off guard as we went to deal with Agent 1 and Agent 2. Despite my team not moving, they were simply unconscious, not killed. It was odd…"

Octavius takes in the information, then nods. "Odd indeed. If that is all, then you are dismissed."

Terra nods, then leaves the room. Octavius turns back around, looking at the multiple screens in front of him in thought. "No kills ever recorded, and yet, he has that berserk state of mind. I believe it is time I paid this 'Blood Wraith' a little visit."

The octoling commander turns around and walks out of the room. The largest screen showed Agent 4 surrounded by octolings, drenched in rain. He was laughing maniacally, and then hell breaks loose. Faster than the eye could see, he blitzes through the army, killing every single one.

His smile never left his face as the sky cried along side him.

**-Author Notes-**

**Soon. Soon Ika's strange condition will be shown. Soon we will see why he has no kills. Soon.**


	9. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8**

_A soul filled with grief,_

_A mind filled with remorse._

_A heart broken down,_

_A barrier enforced._

_Red eyes ablaze with pain,_

_Filled with tears of sin._

_A grin as wide as insanity,_

_A being that can't win._

_If you hear the laugh, _

_Lose all faith._

_If you see the eyes,_

_It's the Blood Wraith._

_-Unknown_

* * *

"_DAD!"_

"_NO! Ika, get back!"_

_*BANG*_

"_W-Why… why…"_

Ika jerks awake in his apartment. He breathes heavily, eyes darting around in fear. He takes a second to calm down, then grimaces. He was drenched in sweat, and his hands were shaking. He groans quietly, then stands up. He wasn't going to sleep after this.

He walks out of his room, throwing on some night clothes in the dark. He never liked being unprepared. Hands still shaking, he turns on the sink in his bathroom, then splashes the cold freshwater on his face.

Ika looks up at the mirror, then blinks. His eyes were black. He jumps, startled, when the image seems to grin at him. He hits the wall, then blinks. The image was gone.

He stares at the mirror, still shocked, before shakily and quickly leaving the bathroom. He walks into his living room, then into his kitchen. He looked at the clock and frowned. "5:00." He murmured. "Might as well do a mission. I won't get any more sleep anyways. But first…"

He rumages through his cupboards, looking for something to eat. He eventually finds a small box of cereal hidden behind ramen cups. He pours himself a bowl, then goes to the fridge. He absentmindedly pours himself a drink, then takes his food and cup to the table.

Ika eats his food with blank eyes, trying desperately to purge the images from his mind. He knew why the nightmare happened. He knew it was a risk. He went through with the mission anyways…

He grimaces, eyes shutting tight as he remembers the look on that platoon's face. Fear, hopelessness, pleading for forgiveness. Not a single one lived… not when he was like _that._

His golden eyes reopen, then stare again. Not into space, but at his cup. A cup of liquid, _red _liquid.

Ika's breathing quickens and he stands up, backing away from the glass as if it was the devil himself. Hands practically trembling, it was obvious he was in high amounts of distress.

He grimaces, then says to himself "Ok Ika, calm down. Calm. Down. It isn't real. It never is."

He breathes slowly, years of training overriding his irrational fear. He forces his breathing to tolerable levels, slowing down his heart rate to normal. He reopens his eyes, and only sees the fruit punch he poured accidentally instead of milk.

He takes the glass and puts it in the fridge, saving it for later. Fruit punch was good, no need to waste it. He just didn't have the stomach for anything red now. He quickly finishes his cereal, then puts the bowl on the counter. After that, he slips on his shoes and leaves.

Ika looks around the dark city. There were a few lights here and there, but otherwise the city was still asleep. Tends to happen with most residents being teenagers and young adults.

Still deciding to keep it safe, Ika quickly jumps onto his apartment building, then jumps across the rooftops. Luckily, he was close to the square, so he would get there quickly.

He lands on the ground, then seems to blur with the shadows as he slips across the open ground. Even in with no cover, he was practically invisible. This was his element. The night was _his_ domain.

The shadow-like inkling slips into the alley near the Battle Tower and jumps into the grate without hesitation. He was never noticed. He couldn't, not by normal means.

Sadly, the person on the roof watching him did not have normal means.

Without a word, the person grabs onto a drone and is lifted to the mountains in the distance. This would get him to his commander faster than that inkling. He knew this for sure.

* * *

Ika is deposited in Octo Valley silently. Fully equipped in his black clothing, with hero armor underneath, he was ready to move. He moves quietly, his mind focused on his mission. It helped block out the screams…

He opens up his phone and turns on an app, one only him and his family, and soon Amber, would have. Encrypted messages flash across the screen, but his mind translates them at a similar pace. Finding an adequate mission, he slips his phone into his pocket again and moves to the hub of the lookout.

Bounding across floating platforms with ease, he got to his destination in no time. A small mission, but one that will do. Just sneak in, get the intel, get out. Perfect for him.

Ika looks around one more time for anyone else, even if he knew he was alone. Seeing nobody around, he jumps into the kettle and shoots down into the depths of the underground.

His location was a pretty bland area. A simple town for octolings, and only a single barrack for the soldiers stationed there. But… most simple areas are deceptive in appearance. That's what he was going there for.

He emerges from the kettle silently, looking around in high alert. Eyes darting everywhere, he never lingered on one spot for long, constantly switching it around. He quickly jumps onto the nearest rooftop and looks for his target.

His eyes narrow as he sees a small, warehouse like building just on the edge of downtown. He knew that was where he needed to go. He jumps across the rooftops, getting to the building in little time at all.

Ika's trained eyes goes across the building, eyeing weak points, guard posts, potential entry points, and many other factors. Seeing a small side door to the barracks, and only a single guard, Ika decides to go a little quicker instead of stealthier.

He drops down, then dashes across the ground quickly. The guard looking around sees a movement in the corner of his eye and goes to look, but nothing was there. He frowns, then shrugs and continues watching the area.

Ika, after sneaking past the guard, turns to the door next to him. He frowns from behind his mask as he sees something odd. The door wasn't locked, in any way. Normally he would have to hack into the control system and hope it was enough. This door… it was a normal industrial door. Deciding to keep his guard even higher, he reluctantly enters the building.

The door opens smoothly, giving off no sound. Ika looks around with alert eyes, moving forwards with soft steps and careful positioning. This was a barracks. More than likely there are more guards.

He peeks around the stack of boxes and looks down the building. It was pretty bland. It had bunk beds on each side, along with a small seating area and kitchen at the end. Beyond those were two doors. One continues further into the building. The other was an office, his destination.

Ika looks around once more, searching for any hidden traps or people. Still seeing nothing, he decides to continue. He walks slowly, body tense and ready to attack at any sign of danger.

His eyes linger on the shadows much too often for his liking. He kept seeing glimpses of past memories, faces staring at him. None of them were good…

He shakes his head, desperately trying to remove these images from his mind. He turns back to the door, and finds himself quite close. Looking around for the final time, he enters the office.

The inside was pretty generic, just like the rest of the building. It had a single desk in the middle, with chairs for guests in front of it. A filing cabinet was to one side, drawers and a larger cabinet to the other.

Ika walks to the desk, his eyes drawn to the few parchments laying on its surface. He picks them up, eyeing their contents carefully. His eyes narrow in confusion as he sees nothing more than simple letters between soldiers and family. What is this?

Then, without any warning, the door behind him opens. Ika instantly turns around, his brush manifesting into his hands. He narrows his eyes as he looks at who just entered.

First was a simple octoling guard. Generic armor, the normal hairstyle, there wasn't anything significant about him. No, Ika's attention was on the person slightly behind the guard.

This octoling had three of his tentacles swept to the right side of his face, his larger fourth one hanging in front of his ear on the left. He wore a simple business suit with the Octarian insignia, a simple red octopus with black sunglasses. Hands behind his back, and expression bored, he seemed to be a higher-up. A commander, or maybe a noble. The subtle tenseness in his body signaling a readiness to fight made Ika lean more towards Commander.

The Commander looks around for a bit, then settles his eyes on Ika. Ika's own eyes widen slightly in surprise, and slight fear. This octoling's eyes were red, _blood red._ They had no emotion except for a sick pleasure in hurting others. They were the _same eyes_ he has_._

The octoling narrows his own eyes, then says "What a surprise. I can't say it is pleasant though. Inklings are never the pleasant types."

The Commander moves around Ika without a care. It unnerved the agent. This octoling acted as if he had a card to play. One to win the game.

The octoling sits down at the desk, the guard moving behind him. The octoling looks up at Ika, then says "Can I have my papers back please?"

Ika glances at the papers, but otherwise doesn't respond. The Commander sighs and messages his temple. "I swear, you inklings are so very rude."

The octoling brings his hand down, folding them on the desk. He looks up at Ika and says "I can't say I am too happy to see you in my subordinate's office. Normally I would execute you on the spot for this."

Ika eyes widen, his grip tightening slightly on his brush. The Commander glances at it once, then says "But… I also do that to normal people. You… you aren't normal."

The octoling gets up, then walks to Ika. He circles the Agent, whose whole body was ready to move at a moment's notice. This Commander was playing a dangerous game…

Instead of being worried, the octoling just hums in thought. "Yes… a very strange individual. I've seen you in action, especially when that _other self_ of yours comes out."

Ika's eyes widen immensely in surprise. This person knew his secret? How?! The octoling's mouth twitches, the only sign of a smirk. "I see I am correct. I would like to meet this other self, and I believe I know how."

The octoling returns to behind his desk, back at his original position. He reaches inside his suit, making Ika tense for an attack. He was right. It was an attack. But… not on him.

The Commander's hand blurs as he brings it to his guard's chest. The guard's eyes narrow in confusion, then widen immensely. His mouth opens, and he coughs out blood. He looks down shakily, then notices why he was hurt. A knife was in the Commander's hand, and it was plunged deep into the guard's chest.

The guard looks back up at his commander's eyes. They were blank, merciless. It was then he knew, he was nothing more than a disposable convenience. The guard drops, the knife sliding out of his chest, as the Commander had yet to let go.

Ika's eyes widen in complete shock, and utter fear. He watches as the guard's life drains from his eyes. In just a moment, they were blank.

_Stones. Stones. Stones._

_De__**A**_d. _**WH**_y. d**O**_N'_T.

_**M**_o_N_**s**_**t**_Er. Pa_I__**n.**_ _**H**_e_L__p_**LE**_**s**__**s.**_

The whites of Ika's eyes drain away, converting into a pitch black. The center of his golden eyes turn blood red, a ring of gold around them… the only sign of Ika still being present.

The inkling shakes, pulling away his mask. He grins widely, but it was shaky. It wasn't in actual amusement. It was forced. It was for comfort. It wasn't real.

Then the tears. He begins crying, his mind forced to relive his most agonising memory. It was horrible. He had a right to cry. No person would live through what he did unscathed.

This… monster laughs loudly, then settles his sights on the Commander. The octoling was impassive, not caring in the slightest in what he is seeing. In fact… he looked intrigued. It made the monster stop in surprise. No one wasn't afraid of it.

But, once more, the octoling simply looked curious. "I see… a coping mechanism. But for what reason? A traumatic memory no doubt. A forced grin? Hmm…. The tears are understandable. And the laughter. There is no humor, no enjoyment. Yes… you are an enigma."

The monster once more was confused, and slightly surprised. This octoling knew his reasonings? His secrets? This was strange.

The Commander leans forwards slightly, his mouth twitching ever so slightly into a smirk. "Tell me, does it hurt? Reliving those memories, wouldn't you like to leave them behind?"

The monster's eyes narrow slightly. What was this octoling doing. The Commander reaches out his hand, offering the monster to shake. "Join me. I can rid yourself of your memories. You just need to fight for me."

The monster's eyes stare at the octoling, then at the hand. Suddenly, its grin stretches wide, and it laughs loudly. The Commander just smirks a little wider, thinking he was winning. Then, the monster looks at the octoling again. "No."

The octoling falters, surprised. The monster's grin turns into more of a smirk. "What? Thought that since I was a _monster_, I couldn't speak?"

The monster chuckles, then says "No. I am perfectly aware of what I am doing. Not happy, but aware. Although, I must commend you for figuring out my… issues."

The monster's smirk widens, but the pain in its eyes never leave. "I laugh to comfort myself. That's what laughing does, right? RIGHT?! So then why doesn't it work?!"

He laughs loudly, but the pain he felt didn't disappear. WHY?! "And I kill to get new memories. I need to block out my first. I need new eyes to haunt me. Maybe then I can handle it. But THAT doesn't work either! WHY NOT?!"

The image of dead eyes, stones in a living body, invades his mind. He couldn't stand those eyes. He needed new ones. He needed something to shut out the memories.

The tears seem to stop, simply because he couldn't cry anymore. He wasn't magic or anything, just in pain. The monster turns to the octoling and says "But… even with that… I try my hardest to protect those I love. Even if being a _**monster **_**is my only option."**

The monster's voice dropped an octave, and the Commander couldn't help but shiver in instinctive fear. This was no person he was dealing with. And now, he was regretting coming here.

The monster frowns, the first sign of other emotions since it appeared. "I will tell you this, _octoling._ Don't come near me. Do not come near my family. **And get the **_**fuck**_ **out of my sight.**"

The Commander needed no other reason to leave. He quickly moves around the monster, ignoring its gaze burning into the back of his skull.

As the door closes, the monster grunts in annoyance. "Damn coward wasn't even worth trying to cover the pain."

He closes his eyes, then the energy just seems to drain from him. He emits an exhausted sigh, then reopens his eyes. In its place were Ika's golden eyes, tired and fearful. "Damn it. It happened again."

Ika grimaces and holds his head, a pounding beginning to form there. He wipes his face of the tears on it, even as he begins forcing down the freshly made memories. "Akuma came out again… at least he didn't kill anyone this time."

With that, Ika leaves the office, returning to the entrance. He quickly moves through the town, wanting to get out of there as fast as possible. He wasn't going to get any sleep for a while now.

* * *

Octavius watches with careful eyes from a good distance away as the Agent leaves the town. Whatever that… that _thing_ in there was, it was not what he expected.

His fists clench tightly in anger. No one ever on-upped him. Not him. He was the commander, THE Commander. He was Octavio's best strategist, and he _never_ lost a deal.

Octavius's eyes narrow dangerously as he sees the Agent disappear into the kettle. "You will fall, _Blood Wraith_, and I will enjoy picking you apart in the process."

**-Author Notes-**

**I hope this was a good introduction to Ika's _other self._ I tried really hard to make his insanity fit with his painful memories, but I am still uncertain if I pulled it off. Any feedback on this, or the story in general, would be GREATLY appreciated! Thanks for reading!**


	10. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9**

Another day has come and gone. More inklings come to the city. Old ones leave. New fighters join the ranks. Some of the big timers become champions, moving worldwide for tournaments.

Amber was watching this all with a sharp eye on one of the buildings. It has been over a month since she joined the Agency. She was quickly catching up with the others in skill… or maybe just Callie and Marie. Amber was still NOWHERE close to reaching Ika's level yet.

They had managed to get enough Zapfish back from the Octarians to begin turf wars once more, but there were still many places that needed powering. At least five more districts needed Zapfish before they would be done. Not to mention the Great Zapfish, so they can redistribute the ones currently running the Battle Tower.

Deciding she's been sightseeing long enough, Amber stands up and jumps off the building. She spreads her arms out as she falls, then quickly flips around so she is face up. She lands in a small crate of hay taken from the country, and then quickly jumps out of it. She walks along the street, no one noticing her and no one paying her any mind.

Hands in pockets, Amber was simply walking for now. She was planning to go to the Cabin later, but for now she just wanted to look around. So she does just that, her head moving around and taking in the district she found herself in.

"Excuse me, young miss?" Amber blinks and turns around. She frowns and tilts her head, an eyebrow raising in confusion.

Behind her was an old inkling, VERY old in her opinion. He had pure white hair, along with a long beard and glasses sitting in front of his large eyes. He was wearing an old pair of shorts, along with a basic t-shirt with the Squid Sisters logo on it that looked a little too big for him. He was also using a cane that looked suspiciously like a Bamboozler to walk around.

The old inkling smiles, or it looks like it from the way his eyes close and crinkle. "Excuse me miss, but I am trying to find my way to Inkopolis Square. Could you perhaps help me on my way there?"

Amber blinks, then shrugs. "Sure. I was heading there anyway."

The old man nods in understanding and says "Very convenient then. Thank you very much." Amber just nods, and the two begin walking along the street.

For a while they were silent. Then, the old inkling springs a question out of nowhere. "So, young miss, I saw you do that little hop of your's to get onto the buildings. What's a squiddo like you using a technique like that?"

Amber freezes momentarily, the question completely taking her off guard. She turns to the old man and says "H-How did you see me?"

The old man chuckles, looking forwards like he wasn't even talking to her. "This old man's seen many things. A little one like you trying to sneak around isn't much different. Although, me being a part of the army in my good 'ole days helps."

Amber frowns at the explanation. Ika did say the technique was used by army officials and soldiers, evident by even the octoling grunts knowing the move. If this was true, then it should be no surprise that this old man knows how to do it.

She sighs, knowing she was caught red handed, and says "A friend taught it to me. I can't say much more than that."

The old inkling nods in understanding. "I see. That isn't a move to be taken lightly, so you are naturally wanting to keep it a secret."

Before Amber can even respond, the older inkling suddenly says "Ah! Here we are!"

Amber looks up and blinks in surprise. They were at the Inkopolis Square. When did they get here?

The old man turns to her and says "Thank you very much for bringing me here young miss. Although, I don't think I ever caught your name."

Amber tilts her head, then says "My name is Amber."

The old man smiles and says "What a pleasant name. My name is Craig." He turns around and begins walking away. Amber does so as well, but then she hears something else. "Craig Cuttlefish."

She freezes mid step and turns around quickly. However, she didn't see the old man. She looks around a bit, then turns around slowly. She frowns as her thoughts instantly begin piecing together everything she just found out.

The old man knew of her hopping technique. He saw her when she was using it. He was in the army. He was going to the Square, where the _grate_ to the _Cabin is_. And, to top it all off, he said his name was Cuttlefish. She had no doubts. This old man was related to the Squid Sisters and Ika somehow.

With this thought in mind, she jumps into the grate that she found herself at. She had some questions to ask Ika now. She certainly hoped he would answer them.

As she goes through the grate, she gets equipped with her agent gear. She is deposited in the lookout, and she is about to go find Ika, when she pauses. She could hear some elevated voices, and it sounded suspiciously like arguing.

Thoughts put to the side, she moves closer to the cabin where the voices originated from. As she got closer, she could hear them more clearly. Luckily, they didn't seem too focused on being quite like the first time she came here.

"She needs to do things on her own Marie! I can't constantly have you trying to baby her on the field!"

"I know this Ika! But… I can't let another agent die! Not after Daniel…"

"Look, I'm sorry, but if you want her to survive, she needs to continue on her own. She needs to become her own agent!"

"But… she's so young! She can't go out on her own!"

"It's been a MONTH Marie! A MONTH! Just let her go already!"

"I… I just CAN'T!"

"My Kami, why can't you just FUCKING AGREE WITH ME FOR ONCE?!"

Amber gasps quietly in surprise. Ika never cursed like that. He only did it when making a mistake or he was REALLY angry. Evident by the sudden lack of voices, Marie knew this as well.

"..."

"M-Marie… I-I…"

"Don't. I know. Another nightmare?"

"..."

"What caused it this time?"

"...Just a mission. It's nothing big."

"Ika… let's ignore this for now. Please. You need to rest."

"I… fine. We will continue this conversation later though."

"That's fine. Just… go cool yourself off."

Amber hears the door open, and she quickly backs up from the cabin. Ika walks out, breathing in and out deeply, obviously from his unintended outburst and frustration. He turns to her, raises an eyebrow, and says "You heard that?"

Amber just nods. She knew better than to lie to Ika. He was the espionage expert for a reason. Ika sighs, then says "Go talk to Marie. I… need to rest." And without another word, he walks to the grate and leaves to Inkopolis.

The younger inkling looks at the direction he went in worry, and then she turns to the cabin. She walks slowly to the cabin, then tentatively opens the door. Inside she sees Marie, mask down, and looking very worried and deep in thought.

"M-Marie? Is everything alright?" Marie jumps slightly in surprise, then looks at the door. There she sees Amber, frowning in worry and looking at her shyly. "_Just like the child she is."_

Marie sighs and says "Everything is fine. But… you heard everything, didn't you?"

Amber once more found herself amazed at her superiors' observation skills. She was certain she was hidden. But for now, that wasn't important. "I heard you arguing with Ika. I heard something about nightmares. Is he alright?"

Marie's body slumps and she says "He… just has some issues with a past event. It gives him nightmares. But if you want the details, you have to ask him. It isn't my place to say anything."

Amber frowns, then nods slowly. She could understand that. But with that out of the way, she only had one other thing on her mind. "Why don't you trust me?"

Marie looks up at her in confusion. "Don't trust you?"

Amber fidgets a bit, then walks into the cabin completely. "I heard you arguing with Ika. Why don't you trust me with my abilities?"

Marie eyes the younger inkling, then sighs in exhaustion. "It isn't like that Amber."

Amber frowns and seems to look at her accusingly. "But it is, isn't it? Just because I'm younger, you think I can't do things on my own!"

Marie looks up and tries to respond, but Amber's anger was rising. "I CAN do things on my own! I don't need help! I don't need you to baby me!"

Marie looks at her in surprise, wondering where this outburst came from. She tries once more to answer, but Amber was gone now in her rage. "Just STOP! I try my hardest! Just give me a chance, please!"

"A-Amber… I-I… um…" Amber glares at her and says "If it's that hard to agree, then I am leaving."

With that, Amber storms out of the room. Marie is left looking at the door, dumbfounded. She puts her head in her hands and shakes her head in worry. "Marie, just what have you done this time?"

* * *

Amber reenters the square and begins running. Tears were falling, and she was sniffling quite a bit.

The citizens look at her in confusion and slight worry as she passes by. She doesn't care. She didn't care. She didn't care!

She wipes the tears away and runs into a nearby alley, ignoring the looks she was drawing to herself. She doesn't see where she was going in her tear-filled sadness, and ends up tripping on a piece of scrap. She falls onto the ground, but other than a small grunt, she doesn't react.

She curls into a tight ball, still sobbing to herself. She sniffles and says "S-Stupid M-Marie. I-I just w-wanna help."

The young inkling didn't know how long she was there for. Eventually she pushed herself against the wall and simply stared at the wall, her knees pulled up and used as a rest for her head. If she had to guess the time from the light levels though, she'd say she was there for at least an hour.

"Hm? Amber?" Amber looks to the side with bloodshot eyes, and sees Callie there. The older inkling was looking at her in surprise, and worry. Obvious worry.

Amber looks away, wanting Callie to just leave her alone. She makes a small noise of annoyance when she hears Callie move closer.

The pop star sits next to Amber and says "Amber? What's wrong?"

Amber turns her head away more. "It's nothing…"

Callie frowns and says "But it isn't. I can tell. I'd like to help, but I can't if you don't tell me why you are upset."

Amber looks back at Callie and stares, looking for signs of deceit. Any sign of deception in her expression. Despite her best efforts, she couldn't find any.

Amber looks down and says "It was Marie."

Callie snorts softly and says "What'd she do this time?"

Amber looks at Callie in slight confusion, but then pushes her thoughts to the side. She looks down again and remembers what happens. "M-Marie said… I couldn't do things on my own. That I-I needed help."

Callie frowns and says "I can understand that being upsetting, but why are you crying about it?" When Amber doesn't respond, Callie says "There's more, isn't there?"

Amber doesn't respond again. Callie is just about to speak up, when Amber decides to say something. "Back before I came to Inkopolis, I was in an orphanage. I didn't know who my mom or dad were, and I never bothered finding out."

"It was a nice orphanage. The caretakers were nice, and I was fed well. But… it never was good for me. All simply because I was different."

Amber seems to curl tighter as tears spring up again. "I-I… had a power. An a-ability. I c-could make specials on will."

Callie's eyes widen in surprise, but she doesn't say anything. Amber doesn't seem to notice, lost in her memories as she was. "I-I couldn't ever c-control it. I-I could hurt others. I-It scared the c-caretakers. I was a-always alone."

She sniffles and says "S-So I vowed to be good w-without specials. W-Without someone h-holding my hand. W-What Marie said… really h-hurt."

She wipes her tears again and falls back into silence. Callie is sitting there, lost in thought. What Amber said explained so much. Her fear of specials. Her want of helping others. Her want of doing things on her own.

The older inkling looks at the younger and says "Well then, let's go tell Marie to leave you alone."

Amber looks at Callie in surprise and says "W-What?"

Callie smiles slightly and says "We'll go to Marie and tell her that you need to be left to your own devices. After all this backlash, I doubt she'll argue much. She's stubborn, not idiotic."

Amber looks at Callie with surprise still, then says "Are you sure?" Callie nods. Amber looks down for a bit, then looks back up. "Alright. I'll go with you."

Callie smiles and gets up, offering a hand to Amber. The young inkling grabs it tentatively and stands up again. She fidgets a bit with her feet, then says "Callie? Can we keep this a secret? I… I'm not ready to tell the others."

Callie looks at her, then nods. Amber smiles a bit and says "Thank you." Callie just flashes a grin, and the two walk out of the alley.

* * *

The door to the cabin opens up once more, and Marie looks up to see who entered. In the doorway she sees both Callie and Amber. She frowns and knows exactly what's going on.

Callie looks at her cousin and says "Marie, I think you know why we are here."

Marie sighs and says "You're right. I do know."

She looks at Amber and says "I've thought about this long and hard. Against my better judgement… I'm going to stay to the side Amber. I'm leaving you to your own devices."

Amber's eyes widen immensely in surprise. Callie seemed to be similarly shocked. "Really?!" Marie just nods in response.

Amber's face lights up with joy. She runs over and hugs the older inkling, shocking her. "Thank you Marie."

Marie looks at Amber in shock, but slowly a smile forms on her lips. She rubs Amber's head and says. "Sure thing kid."

Marie then looks up and sees Callie smiling warmly at the scene. Marie smiles back, and the two share a quick and silent conversation. Amber was _family_. They would protect her with their lives. But she also would become strong enough to go without their protection.

Amber unlatches herself from Marie, grin still wide on her face. She backs up and says once more "Thank you Marie!" before leaving. Callie quickly follows, and the two begin chatting. Marie can't help but listen to them.

"I can't believe how easy that was!"

"Yeah. Normally it takes a bit to convince her, even WITH all the backlash she's been getting!"

"I'm just glad I get freedom now."

"..."

"Hey Amber."

"Yeah?"

"You just hugged Marie of the Squid Sisters."

"..."

"**EEEEEEE! **I JUST HUGGED MARIE!"

The conversation fumbles into distant mumbles, but Marie couldn't help but giggle at the last statement. That was certainly a good turnaround from earlier.

"Well now, those two certainly make an interesting pair." Marie just nods, still looking at the door.

She smiles warmly and says "They sure do. Now, don't you think it's a bit rude to hide in on my conversations gramps?"

From the corner of the room, an inkling seems to appear from the shadows. An old inkling, with a bamboozler cane and glasses. His eyes crinkle and he says "I just love sneaking around Marie. It's a fun hobby."

Marie grins at the old man and says "I can see that. And I can certainly see where Ika gets it from." Marie's grin turns into a more happy and warm smile. "Welcome home Cap'n."


	11. Chapter 10

**Chapter ****10**

Amber was ecstatic that night. She was finally free to do what she wanted! Callie and Amber went out and had ice cream together to celebrate their little victory. After that, it was time for Amber to go home. She slept easy that night.

Once morning came around, it was time for her to go to the cabin again. She quickly departs from her apartment, using the rooftops to cross the city. With a jump befitting of a veteran, she dives into the grate.

Amber pops out of the grate with her Hero armor on and the Hero Shot in hand. She puts the gun on a holster, then walks to the cabin. She opens the door and says "Hello? Anyone home?"

There was silence for a bit, then a soft, kind voice says "Well hello again young miss." Amber's eyes widen slightly, and then her mouth opens slightly in shock. From around the corner came that same old man from the day before.

She jumps back and points a finger at him accusingly. "It's you! That… That old man from before!"

The old inkling chuckles, his hands rubbing a glass with a cloth. "Why yes, it is in fact me. That old man."

Amber regains her composure, then blinks. Her hands wander to the glass the man was cleaning, and she is a little surprised. His hand was moving smoothly and without any hesitation, despite not looking at the glass.

Amber could get a few possibilities from this. First, this old man was delusional. He didn't hesitate because he didn't care, couldn't care. That didn't seem right to her, since the old man obviously wasn't senile or crazy.

Another possibility was that this man was crazy good with battle instincts. To enact hand motions that smooth and fluid, you had to have practiced with multiple different motions with your hands, and likely your body, over the years. Plus, that would imply years of work and exercise.

Or… maybe she was over thinking things. She frowns. His name, if she recalled correctly, was Craig Cuttlefish. Ika's last name was Cuttlefish. Could this be the mysterious 'gramps' the family talks about?

She places her hands on her hips and says "Ok, spill it. Are you related to Ika?" The old man chuckles, finishing his polishing and placing the glass down.

He then says with a smile "Oh, a friend of Ika's, I presume? It is nice for that young man to socialize a bit."

Amber tilts her head and frowns. What? Ika not socializing? Sure, he didn't like the spotlight, but he loved joking around. How could he not socialize? She decides to voice the question and says "Why wouldn't he? He seems like such an out-going guy."

Amber's frown deepens as she notices a slight spark in the old man's eyes. A spark of sadness, regret even. The old man sighs and says "That is something best explained by Ika himself. His condition is… unique, to say the least."

Amber wasn't sure what he was getting at and was about to ask more, when she heard voices outside. She turns and smiles as she hears the familiar trio, a welcome sound these days.

The young inkling runs outside and waves vigorously at the three older inklings. She smiles widely and yells "Hello guys!"

Callie waves back just as hard and runs to Amber, while Marie and Ika simply smile and smirk respectively. They take their time while Amber and Callie instantly begin talking animatedly.

Then, from the cabin, came the old inkling. He smiles at the sight as Ika's and Callie's eyes widen. They gasp in surprise, then grin widely, both yelling "Grandpa!"

The old man chuckles lightheartedly as the two young adults run to him, instantly wrapping him in hugs. Marie stops next to Amber as she watches the scene. Amber looks up at her and says "Marie, who is that guy? I asked him a bit ago, but he didn't answer."

Marie smiles warmly as her family members press on the old man, asking how he was in slightly loud voices. She giggles at the similarity between Ika and Callie and says "He is our grandpa."

Amber nods, an angry frown on her face. "I know that, but, like, why is he here? How does he know about Octo Valley and the agents?"

Marie smiles a little smugly and says "That is because he trained us. He is our mentor, and our captain."

Amber gasps, then turns to the old guy. That one sentence explained so much it wasn't even funny. She turns back to Marie and says "The one who trained you… Do you think he could train me?"

Marie laughs slightly and says "Oh, much more than that. He is the Cap'n after all. He directs our missions, helping us with navigating and, most importantly, keeping us motivated."

Amber tilts her head in confusion, then says "I thought you were the navigator?"

Marie cringes slightly, making Amber frown in suspicion. Marie looks away towards the distant valley walls and says "That is the case, isn't it…"

The two of them stand there, a bit awkwardly. Amber shifts slightly, and then Marie says "Alright. I need to get some work done. Be good, alright?"

Amber huffs, a soft blush on her cheeks. "I'm good! I'm not a kid!"

Marie chuckles and ruffles her hair, bending down and smiling at Amber's whines of protest. "Of course you are. And you always will be to me."

Amber huffs again, which just makes Marie giggle. She then stands back up and walks away, moving past her relatives and into the cabin.

The three of them stop playing as they look at Marie walking past. She was frowning and deep in thought, but it looked painful, guilt-ridden. They all turn to Amber, who looks between them, then shrugs.

Ika sighs and walks to Amber, looking at her with a soft but stern gaze. "What happened?"

Amber shrugs again and says "I'm not sure. We were just talking about Cap'n, and then she walked away."

Ika crosses his arms and leans on one hip. "It must've been something you said. What was the last thing you both talked about?" At this point, Callie and Cap'n were with the two other inklings.

Amber frowns, thinking, then slowly says "I asked her why Cap'n was the navigator instead of her. She got real quiet and a bit sad when she responded. Then, she walked away."

Ika frowned and turned back to the cabin. He looks back to Amber and says "Remember what I said, the first time I joined? Marie's story?"

Amber nods solemnly. That wasn't a fun thing to remember. Marie, so happy and carefree, with a boyfriend too. Then, all at once, it goes wrong. She loses him from one mistake. Amber's eyes slowly widen, before the guilt hits her like a pile of bricks. She turns away, the regret obvious in her eyes. "Oh…"

Ika nods. When Amber refuses to turn back though, he kneels down and gently turns her towards him. He smiles slightly and says "Don't feel guilty. With nothing happening, I wouldn't expect you to remember."

Amber looks down, or at least tries to, but Ika kept his hand on her chin. He frowns and looks at her seriously. "Don't ever, EVER, blame yourself for something you didn't know. It isn't ever good for you, and only makes matters worse. Besides…"

He turns to the cabin again, then turns back to her with a slight smile once more. "All she needs is a little coaxing in the right direction. Soon, everything will be fine."

Amber is finally allowed to look down again, although only to gather her thoughts. She looks back up and says, with a hesitant voice, "And… can I help in any way?"

Ika nods. "Of course you can. You are family, and the new Agent 3. Just be there for Marie. If she needs help, go to her. If she is happy, celebrate with her. And, most importantly, make her ACCEPT you, Agent 3. Let her know that her lover is in a better place, and you will forever be a memento of their love."

Amber grimaces a little, saying "I ain't their child." She looks back to Ika, who chuckles a bit, then smiles. "But, I will help. No matter what, I will help."

Ika grins widely, making Amber grin in response. He ruffles her hair, making her yelp in surprise, and he says "I know you will. Now come on. We have missions to do."

Amber nods, flattening her hair once more, and quickly follows. Ika was right. She needed to help Marie. In any way she could, she would help Marie become who she once was.

* * *

As much as Amber wanted to help Marie, she knew she needed to keep doing missions. Inkopolis was slowly gaining back power, but it didn't have enough. Some districts were still closed, and some facilities, like Turf Wars, needed more power to operate safely. As such, she needed to continue forwards.

Amber runs around a corner of the octoling town, looking down the street. Seeing no one present, she quickly runs across the path and ducks into a new alley. She creeps along in the darkness, looking around cautiously.

These towns always made her uncomfortable. They were so crowded, the buildings so close together almost no space was left. Despite the obvious Calamarian influence the Octoling Dynasty had, there was another area these towns reminded her of.

One of the ancient cities, forever lost in the slowly receding waters of the sea. A place once known as 'London'. Specifically, during their Industrial Era. She knew of their crowded streets, impoverished homes, made that way by new machines and less jobs. Luckily, inklings learned from that history and made machines slowly, at a pace that was manageable for new jobs to be opened. Their own 'Industrial Revolution' lasted decades with slow advances.

This town was different. This wasn't the result of lost jobs and overbearing social rankings. No, this was the result of low space and overpopulation. The octolings live underground, with no place to go but the domes left behind by the previous land dweller race. Sometimes, it made Amber sad how miserable the octolings must be.

Then, suddenly, she hears a noise. She freezes, her thoughts vaporizing as she locks herself into fight or flight. When she doesn't hear the pressing orders of a soldier, or the heavy footsteps of a squad, she advances once more.

She looks past the corner, slowly, only to freeze in shock. There, on the pavement, was an injured octoling. She looked to be older, in her mid-40s. Her clothing only consisted of an old, tattered shirt and loose pants. She was groaning in pain, gripping a spot on her side, a spot stained red.

Amber pauses, uncertain what to do. This lady was in obvious pain and needed assistance, but… she was an octoling. Amber watches, certain that someone would come.

But, after waiting nearly 20 minutes, no one ever came. Amber shifts around, uncertain what to do. The lady needed help, she couldn't deny that, but would an inkling ever be accepted? What if she cries for help?

Amber looks around, wondering how to proceed, when she notices something. She turns to a trashcan at the other end of the alley way, near a dead end. She walks over and picks up what caught her interest. It was an old, tattered gray cape. Something white was on it, but the dust kept it from being discernible.

Amber then gets an idea from this. She brings the cape around her and holds it close. She turns and notices that the cape, luckily and ideally, had a hood. She brings the hood over her head, making sure to hide her hair and eyes as much as possible. She needed to help the octoling, but seeing inkling features may scare her.

Now that Amber could approach the octoling without being potentially found out, she walks to her. The octoling seems to hear her and looks towards her, only to gasp slightly in surprise. She begins mumbling incoherently, closing her eyes tightly. Amber quickly kneels down, shushing her slowly. "No no no. No need to be afraid. I'm here to help."

The octoling slowly stops mumbling, opening one eye to look at her in disbelief. All the octoling could see was a bright yellow from the shadows, one that held a spark of kindness. She opens her mouth, then mumbles "Really?"

Amber nods, pulling out a small medkit. She knew the kettles and stations healed her, not to mention the random items she finds during missions, but a bag of her own items always came in handy during tough battles with little help.

Amber slowly grabs the octolings hand, saying in a calm voice "I need you to move your hand, that way I can clean the wound. We don't want it infected."

The octoling stares at her again, obviously in disbelief, before nodding slowly. She slowly, and shakily, brings her hand to her chest, and Amber finally sees the wound. She grimaces in response.

The wound was obviously a bad one. It was bleeding ever so slightly, but the flesh was torn deep. It would heal with time, but would easily become infected if left alone any longer. Not to mention the amount of blood loss would be severe.

Amber slowly gets to work, slowly dabbing the blood away. "You did a good job keeping pressure on it. You made the bleeding stop."

The octoling tries to sit up and look, but Amber slowly and gently makes her lay down again. She looks at Amber with tired eyes and says "Is that good?"

Amber nods, pulling out a water bottle. "Yes, it is. Now then, this may sting. I need to use water to clean the wound. No need for infections."

The octoling nods, then closes her eyes tight, obviously bracing herself. Amber slowly opens the bottle of distilled water, then carefully pours it into the wound. The octoling hisses and her body tenses, but she doesn't retaliate. Amber quickly gets to work with cleaning the wound, being sure to dab up the water in the process.

Once she was finished, she takes a bandage out. She puts it over the wound, then says "There. It should be fine until you see a doctor."

The octoling then seems to look down, almost in sadness. Amber tilts her head in confusion, and then she realizes. "Can you… not see a doctor?"

The octoling shakes her head sadly. "I do not have the money. It is why I am here, and not there, getting help."

Amber nods slightly, thinking this over. She couldn't see a doctor because she didn't have the money… but, maybe Amber did.

Amber reaches into her pocket to pull out some change, when she hears the octoling gasp. She turns to her with a quizzical expression, only to freeze as well when she feels a breeze. A breeze right where her tentacle was hanging.

The octoling gasps deeply, then looks at her with frightened eyes. "A-A-An inkling?! You are an inkling?!"

Amber pauses, then pulls out her change. She didn't know how to respond, but the octoling still needed help. She hands the lady 5000 coins and says "Is this enough?"

The octoling looks at the money incomprehensibly, still frightened and shaking. Amber shakes her hand a bit, the coins clinking softly. She repeats the question, with a little more force. "Is this enough."

The octoling blinks, then slowly nods. Amber nods at her, and the octoling looks back at her hand. She slowly reaches to Amber hand, as if afraid she would get bitten. Amber waits patiently, not wanting to startle the octoling. The octoling hesitantly grabs the money, then pulls away quickly, still afraid.

Amber gets up and says "Get to a doctor quickly." She then turns and begins walking away. She didn't get far before the octoling speaks up.

"Wait!" Amber turns and sees the octoling look at her with confusion. "Why? Why are you, an inkling, helping me, an octoling?"

Amber stares at her for a bit from beneath the hood, searching for ulterior motives in the octoling's gaze. When she sees none, Amber turns and says "No reason other than the protection of life. Inkling, octoling, what difference does it make when one's life is at risk?"

And with that, Amber walks past the corner, leaving the octoling's sight. The octoling watches for a bit, as if waiting for Amber to return, before slowly looking at the gold. She counts it, then slowly mouths "Five thousand." She then turns and leaves, a small and hopeful smile on her face.

* * *

When Amber exits the kettle, she nearly jumps around in excitement. "Oh man, that felt so cool! Almost like I was a secret rebel of society, helping to fight an evil world! Oh! Or maybe like Robin Hood, the savior of the poor through his amazing plans and stealth!"

She instantly jumps back to the main base, giddy with pent-up energy. She lands with grace, sliding across the ground before jumping to stop the momentum. She turns to the cabin as a voice calls to her.

She sees Marie there, walking to her slowly, a grin on her face. "Well, aren't you excited. What's got you so wound-up?"

Amber grins, then yells "I helped someone get better! I treated their wounds!"

Marie smiles slightly and says "Oh really now? And who was it?"

Amber pauses, then rubs the back of her head sheepishly. "I didn't quite catch their name. What I do know is that they were an octoling."

Marie's eyes widen and she hums slightly. "Really now? An octoling?"

Amber nods slowly, uncertainty rising in her mind. "Um, yes. An octoling. But she was hurt, and really bad too! It would've killed her if left alone!"

Marie hums and raises an eyebrow. Amber slowly looks down, her hands behind her back and once again shifting in place. "I did the right thing… right?"

Marie's eyes widen when she notices the uncertainty Amber was showing. "Oh! Of course you did!"

Amber frowns and looks at her hesitantly. "But… she's an octoling. Shouldn't I have ignored her?"

Marie quickly shakes her head, walking to Amber and putting a hand on her shoulder, kneeling down in the process, just as Ika had done. Amber looks at Marie as she says "No. It wasn't wrong to ignore her. You did the right thing. Remember, as agents, we don't just protect Inkopolis. We are there for ALL people, helping anyone who needs us, even if they are... octolings…"

Marie's voice trails off, and Amber looks at her with confusion. Marie grabs hold of the gray cloth Amber used as a disguise and rubs her hand across it. Marie looks at her with a serious expression and says "Where did you find this?"

Amber looks back at it and says "This old thing? I found it on a trashcan in a dead-end alley. I used it to get close to the octoling and help her without getting caught." _Almost not getting caught_, she thinks to herself.

Marie doesn't respond like Amber thinks she will, which makes Amber pause. "Marie? What's wrong?"

The older inkling doesn't respond right away, then says "I need to look at this." Amber tilts her head in confusion, but doesn't question it. She shrugs off the cloak, grimacing at a crusty spot she didn't notice before.

Marie stands up and walks back to the cabin slowly, looking at the cloth. Amber watches her with mild curiosity and worry. "Marie? Are you ok?"

Marie once again doesn't respond right away. In fact, this time, she didn't respond at all. Instead, Marie blows on the cloth, making some of the dust go away. Amber covers her eyes to shield herself from the dust.

When she opens them again, she sees Marie looking at the cloth in shock. Amber frowns and looks at it with confusion, wondering what was so shocking.

She notices that it was tattered, obviously old and used. The color was a deep gray, almost black. It had nothing else of interest, except for that big white smudge. The smudge, she realized, was now cleared off and clear once again. What she sees makes her pause in shock.

Firstly, there was a hole in the cap. A big, torn hole, right where the heart would be. And then, there was the white. The white wasn't just a smudge. No, the cape was emblazoned with a massive, white 3. And that crusty spot? Amber realized it was dried blood.

She opens her mouth to speak, but no words come out. Marie was holding the cape with one hand, the other over her mouth. Tears begin forming in her eyes, and she mutters "Oh Kami…"

Amber shuffles again, uncertain what to do. "I… I'm sorry. I… I didn't expect… I only used it to help…"

Marie shakes her head, pulling the cloth closer. "N-No. No, it is fine. I just… I need to rest, ok? Y-You… you can go home."

Amber looks at Marie with worried eyes, her hand reaching to Marie and she says "But!" By the time the word left her mouth, Marie was already in the cabin.

Amber lowers her hand, then looks around. The place suddenly felt eerily quiet. Anguish, pain, death, all of it was built up in this valley. Amber couldn't stand it. She quickly turns around and runs back home. But, despite these swirling emotions within her doubt, doubt crept up to the forefront of her mind. One question kept getting repeated, over and over.

_Did I truly do the right thing?_

**-Author Notes-**

**I'M SORRY! I'M SO SORRY HOW LONG THIS TOOK! I promise, this story isn't dead in any way! I had a bad case of writer's block, not to mention school, but everything is fine now! It may take longer than before, when I tried to go weekly or daily, but I should be writing the story more consistently now!**

**I hope you all enjoyed the story so far. We are getting into the deep stuff, and I won't leave you hanging again! And if you can, please review! Any and all feedback is appreciated, especially if I can hear your guys' thoughts on the story! **

**Once again, I am very sorry for the delay, but the story is back in action! I hope you all enjoyed!**


	12. Chapter 11

**Chapter 11**

The reward of Amber's mission came as a shock to the agents. Each one of them had different, widely varying reactions. Amber wasn't even sure how to feel by the end of it.

Callie seemed distraught and wanted to help Marie right away. Ika was more firm though and simply grimaced, keeping Callie from running off. And Cap'n… he looked almost 10 years older.

Amber noticed something about the old squid. He held an air of confidence and mischief, along with kindness and patience. Without it… his old age was shown, bare and grief-filled, almost like everyone else Amber had met.

Cap'n turns to the group of three and says, with a voice laden with sorrow, "I believe it would be best to leave Marie to her own devices. Let her cope with this sudden revelation in her own time."

Callie opens her mouth, obviously ready to argue, but Ika just squeezes her shoulder gently. Callie looks to him and he just shakes his head. Callie seems to deflate as she nods, her posture slumping over.

Amber shifts, obviously uncomfortable, then meekly says "Maybe we should just do another mission. Get our own minds off of things?"

Everyone turns to her, and Amber shrinks under their gaze. The idea was stupid, wasn't it? Kami, she should've kept her mouth shut. If only she hadn't brought that cape here. If only she hadn't helped the octoling-

"I believe that is a wonderful idea, young lady." Amber looks at Cap'n in surprise, who seems to be smiling. He claps his hands against his cane and says "We shouldn't let grief get in our way of helping others. If Marie needs time, then we'll work twice as hard to ensure she can get her rest without worrying about her own duties!"

Everyone seemed to be at a loss of how to react, but then Ika smiles and nods. Callies perks up a bit, tears still in her eyes, but a hopeful smile on her face. Amber was the only one not smiling, wondering why her idea was accepted.

Cap'n glances at her, then turns to his grandchildren. "Go ahead and get ready, you two, I need to speak with Amber here." Callie and Ika nod and walk away, Ika giving Amber a comforting glance and a nod as he leaves.

Amber doesn't react, as she was focused on the old inkling walking to her. Amber shifts around once more, obviously uncomfortable. She opens her mouth, ready to speak, when Cap'n lifts his cane into her face.

She stops, startled, and Cap'n gives her a serious look. "Don't try, youngin'. This is a talk that needs to be done."

Cap'n lowers his cane, then walks closer. Despite his short stature to most inklings, he managed to still be around the same height as Amber. He looks her dead in the eye, and Amber squirms a bit. What was this about? She did something wrong, didn't she?

Suddenly, the Cap'n smiles. He puts a comforting hand on her shoulder and says "I saw that look in your eyes when you suggested your idea. You regretted speaking, and then you regretted your previous actions, correct?"

Amber's eyes widened and she didn't respond, but that was all Cap'n needed. He nods, then says "Don't ever doubt your own good actions. Helping that octoling was the correct move, despite all we have taught you."

He puts his cane down, both hands on top, as he smiles at her once more, his eyes showing it more than his mouth beneath the beard. "It is the government that keeps the octolings from desiring peace. Never are the citizens at fault. I am proud of you for realizing that."

Amber blinks, uncertain how to respond. Then, after a moment of stunned silence, Cap'n says "Now then, we have a mission, correct?"

Amber seems to break out of her trace and she nods, a smile on her face. "Yes. Yes we do!"

Cap'n laughs boisterously and says "Alright lassie! Go and make me proud!" Amber nods fervently and runs off, ready to get herself ready. Even in the darkest of times, one needs to shine bright so that no one may fall into despair. Cap'n smiles, seeing this in the orphan his family now considers one of their own.

* * *

Amber runs across the rooftops of one of the bigger underground cities. This one looked more modern, with skyscrapers and larger buildings within a massive dome. Despite the buildings' sizes, none of them seemed close to reaching the sky on the screens high above.

A hearty laugh echoes within her headset as she hears "_Alright squiddos! Let this old timer show you what he can do!_"

Amber laughs loudly, something she could do in this bustling city. She smiles, looking around. There were far more octoling citizens within the city than the desolate towns she frequented so often. It was no wonder, though, considering this city held one of the greatest pieces of octoling culture, only known through history books on the surface. The Great Colosseum.

Amber knew the name was something from another ancient land dweller culture, but it didn't stop the spectacle the octolings held within it. Massive arena fights between two teams, a flurry of melee attacks and lightning fast reflexes, it called for a spectacle never seen before. The octoling Champions, while not trained to fight ink weapons, were some of the greatest close-range fighters ever seen within any land.

Of course, Amber knew they wouldn't be a problem if she faced one. A quick shot with her near-perfect aim and her trusty gun and they would be down for the count. Plus, she wasn't going that way. She was making her way to the Wuzei district, a part of the city that held heavy Calamarian influence.

The sound of feet hitting the rooftop comes to her ears and she turns to look at what it was. She smiles when she sees Ika running alongside her, his brush strapped across his back. The same sound is registered, and she sees Callie on her other side. Amber smiles even wider, then she jumps high in the air.

Amber laughs in delight as she flies across the wide gap between buildings. Crowds of octolings were below her, oblivious to the action happening above. Amber grins, holding her gun tightly, as she sees Ika and Callie laugh and join her.

Soon, the trio began springing across the rooftops, quickly making their way to the Wuzei district. It wasn't long before the modern flare of the city became the bustling and bright colors of modern Calamarian culture. Bright reds and intricate arches and gateways made for a sight rarely seen in the modern world.

Sadly, they couldn't sight-see for long. They needed to hurry to their destination. This time, they were heading to the arena, one that once again held an Octoweapon. Their mission: destroy it.

The sounds of the city fades into the background as they reach the outer area. Here, the octoling residents and shops thinned out until only bleak, gray military buildings were left. Met with the sudden, oppressing quiet, the city's roar turned into a dull murmur in the background, the agents couldn't find it in them to laugh.

They slow to a tense walk as they approach the arena. They step beyond the gate boundaries and look around. The whole area was covered in ink, with little else to be seen. Well, there was the rubber duck, but Amber didn't think much of it.

"Wait, a rubber duck?" Amber turns to Ika, who was frowning in suspicion. He walks to the rubber duck, his shoes squelching against the thin layer of ink on the ground. He picks up the duck, shaking the ink off in the process, and his frown deepens. Suddenly, his eyes widened.

"Shit! Get down!" Just as he yells this and he makes his own ink trail to hide in, the ground begins to rumble. Callie instantly reacts, making the spot bigger and joining Ika in hiding. Amber stumbles a bit with the shaking, then jumps into the red ink. She peers across the arena from within, and she can tell Ika and Callie are doing the same.

The arena begins shifting, platforms rising and ink rails connecting to each other from previously hidden devices. Soon, the arena looked more like a turf war ground than an arena. But, that wasn't the end of the changes.

The rubber duck suddenly sinks into the ink, and the octoling ink puddle explodes outwards. The agents had to flee their hiding spot in order to avoid the life-threatening splatters. They turn around, and Amber sees why Ika was worried.

A massive machine erupts from the ground and is lifted into the air by four Octocopters. It looked like a big, blue shower head, but beneath it was the main machine. It was mainly a mechanical disc, two red lights up front that seemed to be its eyes, along with two arms with three-pronged claws.

Ika slowly rises up, as do the other agents, and he says "That's an Octo Shower. Be careful, that thing is loaded with artillery." Amber gulps, then nods. She can tell this isn't like the Octostomp at all.

The Octo Shower lets out some sort of high-pitched shriek and charges forwards. The agents duck to the side to avoid the attack, quickly turning around to keep their sights on the Octo Shower. Ika points up to the Octocopters and says "Take the Octocopters down! If they stop flying, we can damage the Shower!"

Callie and Amber nod, and they quickly get to work. Amber lifts her gun and tries firing at the Octocopters, but they swerve out of the way, not only dodging some of the bullets, but also using the Octo Shower to block the others. Amber curses; she needed a better way to hit them.

Callie already seemed to be working on that part. She runs to a nearby ink rail and she jumps on, riding it to the top. She jumps off and raises her roller with yell, just as the Octo Shower was turning towards her. She prepares to bring her roller down, only for a sharp pain to hit her stomach. The Shower backhanded her with ease, and she flew to the ground, rolling across it and hitting a wall.

Ika's eyes widen and he yells "Agent 1!" She groans and sits up, supporting herself with her roller. She waves him off and says "I'm fine. We just need a way to hit those Copters!"

He watches Callie a bit more, just to make sure she was fine, and then he nods and turns his gaze back to the Octo Shower. His eyes shift around the arena, searching for a possible way to hit the Shower. Bouncing wouldn't work, Callie's attempt with the ink rails proved that. Shooting won't work. Neither will single attacks, not this time. He needs a way to both distract the Shower AND hit it fast.

As he is searching, Amber suddenly shouts "Woah! That's a charger!" Ika snaps his gaze back to the Shower and sees that, yes, it had a charger in its 'hands' now. A red laser-light hits Ika's stomach and he frowns. He quickly spins around, creating an ink circle around himself, and waits, crouched low and ready to move.

The Shower hisses, then lurches as it fires the charger. Ika quickly turns into a squid and swims to the side, narrowly avoiding the lethal shot. He rises up from the ink and begins looking around again. As he does so, he yells "Keep it distracted! I'm going to try and find a way to hit those Copters!"

Amber and Callie nod, and then they begin running at the Octo Shower. With Amber firing from below and Callie, much more carefully this time, trying to hit it from ink rails, it kept the Shower quite preoccupied. With that time, Ika was able to finally formulate a plan.

It took him a bit, but soon his eyes looked at some chains by the entrance gate, ones that would be used to chain up the gate so the repairmen can do work without being disturbed. Ika grins, his plan formed, and he runs towards the chains.

"_Agent 4! Incoming!_" Ika turns around, wondering what the warning from Cap'n was for, and his eyes widen. The Octo Shower seemed to be getting tired of this game and pulled out a splatling gun. He quickly dives to the side, taking cover behind one of the many pillars that appeared when the Octo Shower did. He flinches slightly as he hears the pellets fly, ramming against every metal platform and every pillar possible, trying to hit some target. It sounded like wasps, agitated and angry, hunting down the disturbance that came to its nest. That sounded like what him and the others were doing, Ika muses.

Once the pellets die down, he quickly stands up and runs once more. The Octo Shower hisses behind him, but it didn't seem to be directed towards him. He quickly grabs the chain and loops it around his arm, forming a large bracelet of sorts made of chain links.

He runs back, watching as the Shower fires its charger once more, Callie barely moving away from the shot and ducking behind cover. Ika sees Amber near him and he slides to a stop next to her. She looks at him quizzically as he unravels the chain. "Nice to see you 4, but what's the chain for?"

Amber frowns as Ika tells her the plan, and her eyes widen in surprise. She grins widely, Ika smiles, and Cap'n chuckles in their headsets. "_Well now, is that your plan? Splendid!"_

Suddenly, Callie yells "I need some help guys!" Ika looks out from behind the pillar, and they notice Callie was backed against the wall, the Octo Shower dangerously close. Ika growls, his eyes narrowed, and he slams the chain into the ground, creating a piercing echo of metal against metal. "Hey! Over here!"

The Octocopters look at him, which causes the machine to turn as well. With that momentary distraction, Callie quickly goes behind another pillar and disappears from their sight. Ika, his hand gripping the chain, looks at Amber and nods. When Amber nods back, Ika yells "Distract it Callie!"

Callie rolls out from behind the pillar and raises her roller with a yell. She brings it down as the Octo Shower looks towards her in apparent surprise, blocking the ink with its metal body. As this happens, Ika smiles widely and pulls out a can. Despite the strange container, the inside held a special ink that allowed the usage of a special. Ika had a specific one in mind for this occasion.

He turns to Amber and says "Super jump up there, and hold onto this chain. We only have one charge for this, so this is our only chance!" Amber nods, grabbing the chain. Once it is in her grasp, she turns into a squid and charges up. Ika, the chain wrapped around his wrist, holds it tightly, tensing himself for the launch. After a moment of silence, Amber super jumps into the air.

They fly high above the Octo Shower, Ika holding on tightly and his eyes never straying from the Octo Shower. As they approach the peak of the jump, Ika goes over his plan one last time in his head. "_Normally a splashdown will have little effect on the metal hull covering the Octo Shower, but with this boost Amber will give me by throwing me downwards using the chain, we may just pick up enough speed. If not to destroy it, then to at least ground it."_

Nodding to himself, he prepares the splashdown orb in his other hand. The special, glowing ink coalesces in his left hand, his right still gripping the chain tightly. Now directly above the Octo Shower, Amber reverts back to her humanoid form. She holds onto the chain tightly and yells "Get ready!"

She pulls on the chain, yelling in exertion, and Ika can feel himself get lifted up. He reaches the apex of his climb, and then Amber yells out "Here comes the pain!" With that battlecry, Amber spins around midair, pulling the chain and Ika down. She lets go of the chain and Ika rockets to the ground, his figure blurring with speed.

Mid-descent, Ika activates the splashdown orb. The orb doubles in size, its power waiting to be unleashed. His speed doubles and his figure blurs even more, an indistinguishable streak of red in coming down from the sky. The Octo Shower looks up, and then, a deafening explosion hits their ears.

The red ink flies high into the sky, and then it comes crashing down, a wave upon the malevolent vessel beneath it. The ink washes away the magenta-colored octoling ink left by the Shower, leaving a sea of red on the arena. Ika slides across the ink, sliding to a stop next to a pillar, then standing up, watching the Octo Shower.

It was on the ground, the Octocopters nowhere in sight. The Octo Shower's metal joints groan with its movements, the lights of its 'eyes' flickering rapidly. The tentacle controlling the machine emerges, the red ink on it like blood. It flails a bit, then pops, leaving the Octo Shower lifeless. It wasn't long before it fell apart as well, the metal pieces crashing onto the arena in a heap of useless junk.

Amber walks over to Ika, whistling at the destruction caused. "Man, that was awesome!" Ika nods, smiling, but then says "Maybe, but I'd rather only fight one death machine, thank you very much." Amber giggles at that, making Ika's smile grow.

Callie quickly runs to them, the zapfish in her hands, and she says "Mission accomplished!" Amber jumps up and cheers, but Ika wasn't smiling anymore.

Just then, their headsets activate and Cap'n says "_Don't celebrate just yet squiddos. That battle caused quite the comotion, and multiple enemies are quickly reaching your position! If you head for the rooftops now, you should be fine."_

Ika nods, and he turns to the two girls behind. They nod as well, needing no words between them. They quickly run out of the arena and jump onto the buildings, quickly retreating to the bustling city, and then home.

* * *

A single octoling, flanked by a few octoling guards, kneels down. He rubs his finger across the red ink, ignoring the burning sensation. He ficks the ink off and stands. He sighs, then says "What do you think, my liege?"

Heavy footsteps are heard behind him, and the octoling's blood red eyes flash with amusement at the obvious anger in the stride. The footsteps stop, and the octoling glances over.

The heavyset body was filled with tension, his muscular arms crossed. "I think it is time we begin our plan."

The first octoling nods, then turns and to the octoling troops behind him and says "Get the squad ready! It is time to initiate the final stages of our operation!" The troops salute him, yelling "Yessir, Octavius sir!"

Octavius nods, then turns back to the large inkling. "Any thoughts, my liege?"

At first, the octoling didn't say anything. Then, he turns around and stares at Octavius, directly into his eyes. It was those eyes, those shifting and anger-filled eyes, that Octavius could never fully understand. Those emerald eyes, tinted with a ring of red, flash rage. "It's time to tear down the agents that dare stand against me."


	13. Chapter 12

**Chapter 12**

The small trio of inklings were talking animatedly to each other as they began their return to the hideout. Amber grins and says "That chain maneuver was so cool Ika! How did you think of doing that?"

Ika rubs the back of his head, smiling in embarrassment. "Well, it wasn't too hard to know we needed to hit it from above. The Shower would just block our attacks from below."

Callie perks up and says "Oh! And we couldn't hit it from the rails either because we were too slow! So, we needed something that was fast and could hit from above!"

Ika nods, grinning in pride at his sister's conclusion. "Right! And, as we all know, a normal splashdown won't work on an Octoweapon. So, we needed to gain more speed and hit from above. That's how the plan was formed."

Amber nods fervently. "It was so cool sounding too! I'm glad it worked though. I was at a loss of what to do until you said something Ika."

Ika smiles and puts his hand on Amber's shoulder. "And you did your part amazingly Amber! Great job!"

Amber nods, then says "Don't forget Callie! She had the toughest part." Callie beams, a slight blush on her cheeks. Amber just smiles right back, her joy evident in her expressions.

Ika nods in agreement. "Yes, distracting a large machine on your own is tough. Good job Callie." Somehow, Callie seemed to _glow_ with the praise, drinking it like a sponge.

Then, Callie giggles and says "Oh! I have to say, I loved Amber's battlecry 'Here comes the pain'!" Amber blushes in embarrassment as the two siblings laugh loudly.

Amber crosses her arms over her chest and huffs. "I thought it sounded cool!" Ika chuckles and ruffles Amber's hair, making the young inkling squeak in surprise. "Of course it was! It was just unexpected."

Amber looks at him with a suspicious look before she dissolves into helpless giggles. Soon, all three of them were laughing loudly at their completed mission. As soon as they pass the arc leading to the cabin, Ika smiles widely and says "Gramps! Did you see what happened?"

They all pause, waiting for a response. Ika's smile falters and, in a more concerned voice, says "Gramps?"

The trio's chatter begins to die down as a feeling of dread settles around them, thick like a dense mist. They walk around slowly, searching for any sign of Cap'n. He wouldn't just leave, right? Where is he?

Ika frowns, his face settling into that of a commander. He looks at Callie and says "Callie, search the training grounds. He could be setting up some new equipment. Wouldn't be the first time."

He turns to Amber and says "Look around the cabin and the immediate area. I'll look around Inkopolis a bit. He shouldn't have gone far." The two females nod, and the group quickly disperses. Despite their hopes that Cap'n simply wandered off, the same feeling was held tight in their minds. Something isn't right here.

Amber holds her gun tight, her eyes searching every shadow, every possible place that something may be waiting, ready to pounce. Her heart was pounding, her blood sounding like thunder in her ears. The situation was tense, but soon, her target was in sight. The cabin.

She quickly runs over and looks around the cabin, searching for any sort of clue to where their lost commander could've gone. Amber turns around the corner to look at their command center, and she frowns in fear. Cap'n wasn't here, and his headset was thrown to the side.

Amber walks over to the small table serving as their command center and she looks around, particularly at the computer. She slowly brings her hand across the keyboard, as if hoping to feel for an unseen clue. Her eyes scan the scream carefully. It was on their radar screen, the one used to determine the location of themselves and enemies. Nothing abnormal there.

Her eyes wander from the computer to the fallen headset. She walks over and she picks it up, looking for something to help her. Nothing really stands out, and she frowns in anger. Nothing so far to help them figure out where Cap'n went.

She was just about to turn around, when something caught her eye. Her gaze goes towards the strange object, and she begins analyzing it. It was green, with only a small portion visible. It was located in the shrub next to the cabin. It looked vaguely bamboo-like.

Her eyes widened in realization. She quickly runs over and grabs the object, pulling it free. Now seeing it in full, she had no doubts as to what this was. It was Cap'n's cane.

She looks around, slightly panicked, before looking at the computer. She quickly goes over and replaces her headset with the computer's. She navigates to the communication screen and presses the button to connect with Callie and Ika.

"Hey! Can you two hear me?" Some static is heard in her ears, and then a voice connects from the other end.

"_Loud and clear Amber. What's going on? Why are you using the communicator?" _Amber recognized Ika's voice through the headset. She frowns and then says "Hurry back to the cabin! I think I know what happened to Cap'n."

There was some silence, and then Callie says, in a bit of a timid voice, "_Happened?"_ Amber sighs, then says "Just hurry back. I'll explain when you both get here!"

She gets sounds of confirmation, and Amber disconnects from the headset. She frowns and paces, gripping Cap'n's cane tightly. She was anxious, waiting for Ika and Callie's arrival.

Amber walks around the cabin and she looks out across the valley. Despite all the dangers, and the frequent unsettling atmospheres, she found the sight of the valley to be calming. Such a broad array of natural wonders, along with the beautiful greenery at the very bottom. Not to mention the many waterfalls leading to the bottom, giving the whole valley a very mystical feeling.

The sound of running hits her ears and she turns around. Ika and Callie were right next to each other, running towards her. They looked ready to ask what happened, when their eyes fell on to the cane in her hands. Amber tightens her grip, her knuckles turning white, as Ika and Callie gasp in shock.

Ika looks up at her with wide eyes, fear written in them. Amber sighs, then says "I found this in the shrubs by the command center. Cap'n wasn't there, and his headset was thrown to the side. I think… Cap'n may've been kidnapped."

Callie puts a hand over her mouth, her eyes glistening with unshed tears, while Ika grimaces and looks down. Amber shuffles, then says "I don't know where he could've gone…"

There was silence for a bit, and then suddenly. "No." Amber looks up and sees Ika staring into the valley, his eyes filled with determination. "There is one place I can think of, and the only place that would've gained from kidnapping Cap'n."

Callie looks out over the valley, her eyes falling upon what Ika was looking at, and she gasps. "You don't really mean that, do you?!"

Amber looks between them, wondering what was going on. "What? Where is he?!"

Ika gently makes her turn towards the valley, and he points to a secluded corner of the area. "Deep within the valley, hidden in the shadows, is the entrance to Cephalon HQ, one of two headquarters for the Octarians. If my hunch is correct, then the Octarians took Cap'n and brought him there."

Amber looks at the shadows some more, but despite her best efforts, she couldn't see into the dark mass. She looks back at Ika and says "So, are we going to investigate then?"

Ika nods, his expression grim. "Of course we are. But, this is going to be our toughest mission yet. We'll need to prepare."

The agents nod, ready to go. They go to turn, when a voice says "And you'll need a captain to navigate you."

The trio turns around in surprise, left in shock at the speaker. Marie smiles at them, her agent suit already on. She looks between them, then smirks and says "What, no hugs?"

The three other inklings blink in confusion, and then they smile widely and run at her. Marie laughs as they plow into her, instantly giving her a group hug. The four of them stay that way for a bit, then slowly part.

Ika smiles at Marie, then frowns. He reaches down and rubs a tear from Marie's eyes. "Your eyes, they're red. How long have you been crying?"

Marie looks down in embarrassment, shrugging in response. "I don't really know… It all blurred past."

Ika looks ready to argue, but Marie raises a finger. He closes his mouth as Marie begins to speak. "I've been thinking long and hard about this last month. How I've acted, how you've all acted, and I think I've finally decided. I need to put the past behind me, and get ready to help you all fight the Octarians. No more disappearing, no more grief."

Marie turns to Amber with a smile and says "And I couldn't have figured this out if you hadn't brought me Daniel's cape. Thank you so much Amber."

Amber blushes at the praise, but then she questions "Why did the cape help though? You seemed so sad."

Marie frowns at that, obviously thinking it over. It takes a few moments, but then she says "I believe that, finally having something of his in my hands, it helped clear my head. I began thinking of how he'd want me to act, and I know, deep in my heart, that he'd want me to be happy. He wouldn't want me grieving over him and jeopardizing you all because of my own actions."

Marie smiles widely and says "It's because of this that I'd like you to have something Amber." Marie reaches behind herself, then pulls out a black cloth. Amber gasps as Marie holds it up by one end and lets it fall. It was Agent 3's cape, except with some changes. The cape was much cleaner now, and the gunshot hole was patched up so expertly it almost looked like it was never there. The tattered ends were still there, but Amber thought it gave the cape a little flare.

Marie giggles at Amber's awestruck expression and says "Here, turn around." Amber does so slowly, still processing these events. Marie grasps some clasps on the top of Amber's armor and clips the cape on. Amber looks at her back, seeing the cape. She spins a bit, then looks at Marie with an ecstatic expression.

Amber grins widely and says "Is this really for me?!" Marie nods, smiling warmly at Amber's happiness. "It should belong to the next Agent 3. With it, we can continue his legacy." Marie kneels down, looking at Amber right in her eyes. "Wear it with pride, ok?"

The young inkling nods slowly, the seriousness of this gift settling in. Marie stands up and turns to Ika and Callie, both of whom are smiling widely. Marie smiles and says "Shall we get started?"

Ika nods sharply, grinning the whole while. "Yes. Let's get started Marie." She gives a terse nod and moves over to the cabin. The agents waited, but it wasn't long for Marie to get to the command area.

Static is heard in their headsets, and then Marie's voice. "_Alright. I have you on screen, along with your individual cameras. Can you all hear me clearly?"_

Ika gives a small nod, more to himself than anyone else, and says "Loud and clear Two." Amber takes note of Ika calling Marie 'Two'. Codenames now, no more playing.

Fierce clicking is heard within the headset, and then Marie says "_It's just as you thought. Cap'n is being held deep within Cephalon HQ. Have extreme caution though. I can see multiple enemies within the area."_

Ika just smirks slightly. "How fun. A real challenge to test my stealth." He turns to Amber and Callie and says "You two ready?"

Callie and Amber each give short nods of confirmation. Ika's smile diminishes until he is set into his team leader persona. "Alright. Let's get moving." And with that order, the team launches over the valley, right into the heart of enemy territory.


	14. Chapter 13

**Chapter 13**

When Amber heard that they were going to the Octoling HQ, she thought of a desolate, bleak area filled with nothing more than various militaristic equipment and serious soldiers. She wasn't prepared for an entire city!

Apparently Cephalon HQ was not just one of two headquarters for the Octolings, but also one of their main cities, the other being Ceph City. Amber was left in awe at the sight of an Octoling metropolis, much smaller than Inkopolis, but still large.

They exited on the outskirts, the kettle hidden from general sight. Amber looks around, taking in her surroundings. The city was filled with skyscrapers well spaced apart, along with various other buildings for entertainment, medical needs, and other things a city would have. To her left she could see a residential area filled with houses and apartments for the Octolings, spanning across an area roughly 200,000 square feet. But, the biggest sight for her was in front of her.

Spanning across the upper area of the cavern wall was a massive screen. On it were various advertisements, shows, and other television reports. Below it stood five separate entrances to another area beyond the cavern wall, the word "ARENA" on a large sign above the entrances and below the massive screen.

Ika takes note of Amber's awe and where she is looking. "Octoling technology never fails to impress me. Ain't that right, Three?" He watches as she nods slowly, still slightly shocked.

Before any more discussion could be said, the massive screen flickers, and then one figure dominated the screen. Ika's eyes widen and Callie gasps, which makes Amber confused. She takes a closer look at the figure, trying to figure out why they were surprised.

The figure was mostly cast in shadow, but some defining features did stand out. He, and Amber could tell it was a he from the extremely broad and well-built body, was a tall man. He could be as tall as Ika, or maybe even more. Along with his well-toned muscles, he was wearing a very ornate Sokutai, something reserved for important figures in Calamari County. He was crossing his arms over his chest, and he had piercing green eyes with red lining the outside. He seemed to be permanently glaring, despite the grin Amber could see on his face.

"**WHAT IS UP CEPHALON HQ! THIS IS YOUR KING DJ OCTAVIO SPEAKING, HERE TO TELL YOU THAT A NEW SHOWDOWN WILL COMMENCE IN THE ARENA WITHIN THE NEXT 20 MINUTES! HURRY, AND DON'T MISS IT." **Somehow, his glare seems to intensify and he seemed to look directly at Amber, his grin widening. "**It'll be a KILLER performance!"**

Suddenly, Amber knew why that man was important. It was King Octavio, the leader of the Octolings. He uses mechs and music to amplify his troops or increase his army without actually risking lives. And, despite his wording, Octavio was a very imposing figure, his deep voice adding a sense of foreboding to his words. Especially that last part, calling it a killer performance.

Ika tsks and says "Well, we know for sure where Cap'n is now. Octavio most definitely has him." Amber and Callie nod, their thoughts on the same track. Amber looks at the screen and sees it displaying a repeated message of 'KILLER PERFORMANCE, COME SEE IT NOW! KING IN ACTION, RARE SIGHT!' Somehow, it disgusted her with the repeated advertisements.

Now with a location in mind, the trio of agents begin making their way to the city. Once she got a better look of their location, Amber noticed that they seemed to be on a rocky cliff overlooking the city. It was high enough that they could move around freely without being seen, while also having access to a lower skyscraper for easy access to the rooftops.

They quickly get on the roof and look around the city. Octolings of all kinds were going to the Arena, their animated chatter managing to reach even them. Amber couldn't help but take notice of the random words being said.

"A new performance with the King?! This rarely happens!"

"I can't believe we spend money on this stuff instead of trying to reach the surface."

"At least there's entertainment down here…"

"WOO! GO KING OCTAVIO!"

"How can I enjoy this if the living conditions keep getting worse?"

Amber frowns in sadness, and slight surprise, at the statements. A majority of them were just excited to see whatever is in the Arena, but others, and quite a bit of them, were lamenting about their horrible lives down here. It made Amber upset in a way she's never felt before. She turns to Ika and says "Why do we let the Octolings suffer like this? So many of them seem miserable down here."

Ika sighs, his own eyes scanning the crowd, his ear twitching periodically. "I know it is bad, but we can't do much. We have to protect Inkopolis, and with the Octolings unwilling to work towards peace, we can't do much of anything to help them."

Amber takes in the information, then looks down at the crowd. "There must be some way," she mumbles to herself. "Some way, somehow, they will all be free and happy again. I can feel it…"

Ika smiles to himself at the statement, but opts not to say anything about it. Instead, he points to an area off to the side of the entrances for the citizens and says "Let's go through there. It seems to be a side entrance."

Everyone's eyes fell onto the entrance Ika pointed out. There were a couple Octarian guards around it, along with an Octocommander scanning the area. They seemed ready to fire at any moment. Amber grins. "Guards? Tense? Definitely important."

Ika and Callie nod in agreement. They begin making their way across the rooftops to get inside the building. It didn't take long and was quite an uneventful trip. Now perched on the closest rooftop to the entrance, they begin to scan the area.

Ika frowns as he says "No octolings anywhere, but there is no cover either. It'll be a straight shot." He turns to Amber and says "Did you bring a charger?"

Amber nods as she holds out her hand and ink coalesces in it, forming a Hero Charger. Ika grins and says "Nice work with that by the way." Amber beams in response.

Amber brings the charger's scope up to her eye and she says "Take them down?" Ika's eyes narrow as he says "Wait. Not yet."

He watches carefully as the Octarians look around, their tension lowering. One of them begins to yawn, and Ika's eyes widen. "Now!"

Amber doesn't hesitate as she pulls the trigger, sending a beam of ink to the Octocommander. It grunts in pain and falls off its pedestal, unconscious. The other two guards look around in fright, the other disoriented from yawning. The more focused one is hit next. The tired guard searches for the intruder, quickly moving to the side. He catches a glimpse of orange on a rooftop before he falls unconscious.

Amber grins as she finishes up her job. With their path cleared of enemies, the three of them jump down to the ground and run to the side entrance, quickly going inside.

The inside of the cavern was covered with metal walls, light bulbs giving the corridor some illumination. The agents look around, searching for anything of interest. "There's nothing here," Callie says. "Just a long, metal hallway."

Ika frowns, suspicion rolling around in his mind. "Be careful. Areas like these can hold many secrets, potentially deadly."

He clicks a button on his headset and says "Two, are there any potential threats in here?"

Marie responds almost instantly. "_Not that I can see. It seems like it leads straight to the arena, but I can't get a signal in there. It's completely radio silent."_

Ika's frowns deepens. "Sounds just like a trap. Are you two ready?" He turns to Callie and Amber as he says this. They nod in response. Ika smiles grimly and says "Let's go then." They then begin walking down the corridor, wondering just what waited for them at the end.

Nothing was in the hallway, just as Marie said. It didn't do anything to calm them though. Soon, the silence began to settle around them with a vice grip. Amber gulps as her nerves begin to act up, heightening her anxiety. Every heartbeat sounded like a gunshot, and her thoughts sounded too loud to her.

Soon, they could see the end of the hallway. Despite wanting to do otherwise, the agents force themselves to move slowly. They couldn't risk getting caught because they were running and making noise.

They manage to reach the exit, and they enter a new area. There was a singular bridge leading to a massive circular arena. There were various tentacle-looking machines covered with speakers, Octarian ink below the arena. One thing stood out though. All around them was a deep darkness. No matter how hard they looked, no matter how much they strained their eyes, they couldn't see into the darkness.

Suddenly, a single spotlight turns on. They turn to the noise of it activating and see a figure in the distance, far off from the arena. The agents' eyes widen as they take note of the white beard, glasses, and patchy shirt. "Cap'n!"

Cap'n groans, obviously waking up, then looks to the arena. His eyes widen and he yells "No! It's a trap!"

Ika is about to respond, when another spotlight turns on. He turns to the arena circle and sees a large, imposing figure. His eyes widen slowly as he takes note of the muscular arms, the robes of a king adoring his body, and his curled up octoling hair. His piercing green eyes drilled into Ika's own, and Ika can't help but widen his eyes in shock. It was the Octoling King, Octavio.

Suddenly, another spotlight turns on. Then another. They begin turning on so rapidly that the agents lose track of how many there are. They shield their eyes as Marie gasps in surprise. "_These numbers! It can't be!_"

Whatever Marie was going to say is drowned out by a ROAR of voices. All around them were Octolings, all cheering loudly. They were so far from the arena that they couldn't even be reached with hopping. Ika's eyes widen in shock as Amber mutters "The whole city. They all are here…"

Ika rubs a hand across his facial mask, checking if it was in place. Safe with the knowledge it was, he looks back to Octavio. The king was glaring at them, a smug grin on his face, before suddenly turning on the balls of his feet and turning to the crowd. With a loud, deep laugh, he throws his arms to the side, as if welcoming the whole city, and says "Welcome to the Royal Performance!"

The crowd's cheers somehow grow louder with this declaration. Octavio just laughs in delight at the crowd's cheers. "I know how excited you all are, so we won't wait long." He turns back around, his royal garments fluttering like a cape as he does so. "On one side we have the extraordinarily talented inklings, the Squidbeak Splatoon!"

The cheers still went strong, which surprised the agents. In fact, they didn't diminish at all. Amber curls into herself a bit, saying "Why are they still cheering for us? Don't they hate us?"

Ika grits his beak, looking around in confusion. "I don't know. But I do know I don't like this."

Octavio then swipes a hand over himself and says "And on my side is your's truly, King D. J. Octavio!" The crowd screams with delight at Octavio's announcement. The octolings showed whose side they were truly on, no matter how confusing the cheering was.

Octavio glares at the agents as he says "And without further ado, let the battle COMMENCE!" Octavio yells the last part, his legs spreading out and his arm pointing to the roof of the cavern, like a rock star would. The metallic tentacles around them flash red, then hum with electricity. Ika frowns as he analyzes this, his mind working through the reasoning. Amber was quicker on the uptake than him though. "Those things need a lot of electricity. They must have the Great Zapfish in here!"

Ika smiles at the deduction and is about to respond, when music begins playing from the speakers. It wasn't deafening, considering the amount and size of them, but it was loud. The agents were slightly startled by the sudden dubstep, but it wasn't enough to keep them open. They turn to Octavio, who was crouched down, ready to pounce. The three of them ready themselves, then move forwards.

As agents, all three of them were fast. They knew that, and they tried to utilize it to outplay the old king. None of them were ready for when Octavio moved. Octavio sets his eyes on Callie, then takes a step. His figure blurs as he thunders across the arena, his speed much more intense than anything they ever could've predicted. Callie's eyes widen and she has no time to react before the hulking mass of muscle barrels into her like a steam train.

She flies backwards, screaming in pain, but still holding her roller. She rolls slightly, before skidding to a stop. She takes a heavy breath, holding her side, and stands up shakily. Ika slides next to her and says "One! You alright?!"

Callie nods, her eyes warry and focused on Octavio. The King straightens up, his body tense, but relaxed in a way that showed complete confidence. Ika's eyes wander to the side, and he sees Amber trying to move quietly, a roller forming in hand. Ika's eyes move back to Octavio, and then they narrow. Octavio smirks in amusement, and Ika rushes in.

Octavio falls into a stance, ready to defend, when a he hears a yell behind him. He turns and his eyes widen when he sees the little orange inkling raise a roller over his head. He quickly moves to the side as the wave of ink falls onto the spot he was just at. He smirks at Amber and says "Need to be a little faster than that hipster."

"Then how about THIS!" The yell came from behind again, but Octavio didn't have time to react completely. He turns around and brings his arms up as red ink covers them. His hisses in pain, but ultimately doesn't go down. He swipes his arms down, rage in his eyes, as he screams "SLIMY LITTLE HIPSTER!"

Ika's eyes widen in shock, and quite frankly fear, as a megaton of muscle rushes at him. Octavio grips Ika's head, lifting him up with little effort. Octavio holds him in the air, Ika too shocked to react, as Octavio yells "IMA REMIX YOUR FACE FOR THAT LITTLE MANEUVER!"

With that declaration, Octavio slams Ika into the ground. Ika's face meets the metal with a loud, painful _CLANG_, and Ika screams out in pain. The crowd 'Oooooo!'s loudly, as Octavio huffs in anger. He turns to the other agents, only to see Callie with her roller raised.

Callie tries to bring it down on Octavio, but he simply reaches up and grabs the roller. Callie's eyes widen as Octavio holds the roller up by the metal sides on each end, his arms not even struggling from the effort. Octavio glares at Callie, then pushes against the roller, making the pop star fall onto her bottom from the force.

Octavio walks over to her slowly, Callie scrambling to get up. Octavio is almost to her, when he feels an ink splatter hit his back. He roars in anger and quickly runs to Callie, kicking her hard. She flies across the arena, rolling to a stop, but without her roller.

Octavio turns to the perpetrator of his pain, and sees the little orange inkling. If he remembered correctly, that one was afraid of specials. Never used one, even when beneficial to her and her team. With a devious grin, Octavio yells "Well well well, seems like the agents need a little boost. Why don't we give them a SPECIAL gift!"

The crowd cheers, and Octavio laughs loudly. "Alright then! HERE YOU GO!" Octavio reaches behind himself and pulls out a can. He then throws it at Amber, the top coming off. Ika, who recently recovered from Octavio's brutal attack, his nose bleeding, screams "NO!"

Amber's eyes widen as the can hits her, but doesn't cause pain. In fact, she feels a familiar rush of power as something coalesces in her hands. An inkzooka.

Amber freezes in fear at the sight of holding a special. The world goes red and nothing could be heard to her but her rapid breathing and deafening heartbeat. She couldn't even process Octavio laughing in delight.

"Look at her, frozen in fear! So much for the mighty age-, hm?" Octavio looks back at Amber, and his eyes widen in surprise. Ika was back up and running at full speed, despite the hit he took. Octavio vocalizes his surprise and yells "Wha- how?! That attack should've knocked you out cold!"

Ika glares at Octavio, then turns to Amber. He gently pries her fingers from the inkzooka, making her blink. Tears had started flowing from Amber's eyes, but she still didn't react. Now though, she turns to Ika as the inkzooka leaves her hands. Ika turns to Octavio and frowns. "Eat this, you piece of shit."

Octavio's eyes widen as a tornado of red ink flies towards him. He quickly moves out of the way, but Ika wasn't done yet. Ika fires every shot he could, hoping to hit the elusive king. But, his injured nose was making it harder to aim, and as such, every shot missed.

Ika curses loudly as the inkzooka dissipates, and Octavio breathes out a sigh of relief. Then, Octavio laughs loudly, his hands on his hips. "HA HA HA! Seems like you really are out of your league here inklings!"

Ika looks around, wondering what to do, when a glow appears next to him. He turns to his side and sees Amber gripping her head. Her whole body was glowing, and she was muttering "No no no no. Not again. Not again! It's happening."

Then, suddenly, ink forms all around her. The ink gathers above her body, and then suddenly shoots high into the air. It begins to arc, as Octavio stops laughing and watches it warily. Then, suddenly, the ink turns into a rocket. Octavio's eyes widen in shock and fear as it begins to fall. "Wha- OH SHIT!"

The King tried to run, but just couldn't move fast enough when he had such little warning. The rocket lands right next to him, and Octavio's form is submerged within a literal tornado of orange ink. It flies high into the air, Octavio's screams heard within, but ultimately drowned out by the roar of the explosion.

The ink begins to stop spinning, and the arena falls silent. Octavio couldn't be heard anywhere, and Ika searches around, looking for him. Ultimately, he just turns to Amber and helps her up. She wasn't crying anymore, and was looking around in confusion. "D-Did we do it?"

Ika frowns and says "I don't know." His voice was slightly nasally from his injury, but he would be fine in the long run. Amber frowns and instantly pulls out her medical bag and begins treating the injury. Ika sighs as a pain reliever is given to him. He takes it without a second thought.

Just as Callie manages to reach them, roller in hand and quite beaten up, Marie suddenly says "_Wait! Up above!_"

They all three look up, and the crowd cheers once more. A large, spherical mech was floating above them, but that wasn't the important part. What was important was the massive catfish attached to the bottom. It gurgles loudly in distress, before being pulled into the mech. The mech vibrates violently as the metallic tentacles shift around, the speakers blaring a new song.

Then, suddenly, a loud cry is heard behind them. They don't get time to turn around as a trail of purple ink is seen, and lands in the mech. The mech begins to descend, and the agents realize what the trail was. Octavio, now in his octopus form, was piloting the mech. He glares at them, his wasabi sticks on the turntables, as he yells "LET THE REAL SHOW. COMMENCE!" The music roars as the cheers begin once more. The agents' final showdown had only just begun.

**A/N**

**Honestly, I am quite proud of this chapter. I really feel like I got the mood I wanted to convey, and I hope you all enjoyed it as much as I did! And if you can, please leave a review! They are all very much so appreciated!**


	15. Chapter 14

**Chapter 14**

The mech was larger than anything the agents had ever seen. It looked like a combination of a turntable and a stage, with lights and speakers as well. On either side of the front were two mechanical fists, roughly the size of a full grown inkling. And in the center, sitting behind the turntable, was Octavio.

Octavio laughs loudly at the shocked and nervous expression of the agents. It brought him a sick satisfaction to see their confidence so shattered in the face of his own creation. He swipes his wasabi across the spindle and yells "TIME FOR THE KING TO MINCE YA FOOLS!"

With that declaration, the mech shakes, and then bombs pop out. The agents' eyes widen and they scatter, barely avoiding the bombs. Octavio does a spin, flicking the spindle again, while simultaneously pressing a button with another of his tentacles.

This time, six bombs flew out, each of them beeping and homing onto a target. With two missiles flying after the agents, they each go across the arena, avoiding the heat seekers.

Callie runs as fast as she can, the missiles close behind her. She leaps forwards, turns mid air, and brings her roller down with a loud yell. The roller hits not only sends a wave of ink in front of her, but also hits the missiles. With her own ink covering the missiles, none of the hostile ink hits her, and she lands uninjured.

Ika was able to easily outrun the missiles, but not by a large margin. He looks behind himself, sees the missiles, and gets an idea. He runs towards the mech, which causes Octavio to raise a non-existent eyebrow. Ika gets close, then flips backwards. He goes over the missiles, which was sudden enough that they couldn't recalibrate in time. They fly forwards and hit the mech, obscuring it with ink. But, when the ink falls, Octavio is seen laughing without a scratch. Ika curses, muttering "Must be a barrier."

Amber notices what Ika did, and tries a similar maneuver. This time though, instead of leaping backwards, she turns and slides under the missiles. Once clear of the explosion radius, she turns and fires at the missiles. The missiles both beep loudly, then explode, making a large patch of ink.

Amber breathes out a sigh of relief, then turns to Octavio. He seemed unperturbed by their efforts. In fact, he simply seemed amused. Then, Amber knows why.

Octavio presses a few more buttons, then yells "Get ready for the BEAT DROP!" The speakers around them suddenly begin building with the song. As they do so, something appears from beneath the mech. It looked like a massive megaphone, with exhaust pipes on the end…

Suddenly, Amber realizes what it was. She yells "SCATTER! THAT'S A KILLER WAIL!" The agents' realize this as well, and quickly run across the area in different directions. Then, the beat within the song suddenly drops. With it, the mech shakes, and the Killer Wail makes a loud siren sound.

Octavio swipes his turntable, and the mech turns. It aims at Callie, whose eyes widen in shock and fear. Ika's eyes widen, along with Amber's, as the Killer Wail gives one last screech, then fires.

Callie's eyes widen immensely, and she lets out a startled gasp as she puts her hand up in a futile effort to defend herself. Then, right as the beam is about to hit her, she feels something. She suddenly begins falling to the side, and she stares at her savior.

Ika grits his teeth and stares directly at the beam flying at him. His eyes narrow, and suddenly he hears something. "_**I won't die. YOU WON'T DIE! WE WILL NOT DIE!"**_

Ika's eyes widen, and a bright flash of red is seen. He crosses his arms, plants his feet, because he has no time to do anything else, and tenses his body. The beam washes over him, and he screams in pain at the burning feeling. The ink was slamming against his armor, making his vest buckle under the intensity of the beam. His feet were beginning to slide, but he wasn't backing down. He glares at the beam, barely opening his eyes, before he lets out a roar. Ink explodes around himself, blocking the beam, and protecting Ika.

Octavio's eyes widen immensely as the ink falls, and he sees that, somehow, the Killer Wail didn't kill the inkling. Ika was standing there, holding his arm, as he breathes heavily. His vest was in tatters, and his clothing beneath was torn in places. His sleeves were completely gone, showing the bloodied and ink covered skin beneath.

Ika grits his teeth and stands up straight. Callie runs over and hugs him, crying out in distress. Ika smiles tiredly, then says "Not now Callie, we haven't won yet."

Callie looks up at him, then nods. She turns back to Octavio and holds her roller tightly, bringing it down and ready to go. Amber runs over to them and holds her Splattershot close to herself, ready to fire at any moment. Ika steps forwards as ink flows down from his shoulder, coalescing into his brush. He holds it tightly, his eyes narrowing as he glares at Octavio.

Octavio's eyes shift between them all, before settling on Ika. He was injured, but something was off. His eyes… they were no longer golden. They were a bright red color, and they BLAZED with unbridled determination and power.

He tsks in irritation, then says "Commando Force! Get ready to deploy!" The agents look around, Ika's face still showing clear anger and irritation. Octolings begin launching from the audience, landing in the pool of Octarian ink, and then launching again. Soon, there was a squad of twenty Octolings, many of them holding weapons.

Ika tsks, his face mask luckily still on, and he says "Alright. This is going to get tough. Amber, try to shoot them from afar. If they get close, take out your roller. Callie, get as many knocked down as you can. As for me, well." Ika rolls his shoulders, his muscular arms tensing in anticipation. "Ima knock some heads together."

The agents nod, then quickly break apart. The squad of octolings break as well, moving to each person. Luckily, it seemed that a majority of them, about 10, went to Ika, who disperses his brush and quickly runs in.

The octolings quickly surround him, but Ika doesn't care. His eyes narrow and he clenches his fists, approaching the first octoling. She seemed younger and more inexperienced. She frowns and raises her gun, ready to fire.

Ika suddenly gains a burst of speed, going from running to sprinting, and the octoling gets startled. She tries to fire, but Ika knocks the gun away. He quickly grabs the gun and throws it at a nearby octoling. His legs buckle and he falls, his advancing comrades falling behind him.

One octoling with a brush rushes at Ika from behind, and his eyes flash towards the octoling. Ika swivels on his heel and forms his brush once more. He brings it up and blocks the attack, stopping the octoling dead in his tracks. The octoling's eyes widen behind his goggles as Ika pushes him back with a grunt of exertion. The octoling tumbles back into his allies, just like the first, and knocks down a few of them.

Ika uses his hopping ability to jump high above the octolings. He forms an arc, eventually looking down to the octolings, many of which were recovering or aiming at him. He grips his brush tightly, then twists midair. He quickly swings his brush, outpacing the guns that needed to be prepped before firing. A wave of ink flies down and hits seven of the octolings, knocking them out cold. The remaining two, look at each other nervously.

"Stand down soldiers, I'll handle this." Ika and the octolings look towards the edge of the area, where another octoling was walking. She had dark brown skin, along with a very fit body. She was carrying an Octo Brush, but it was currently holstered. Her knuckles were bandaged. Most importantly, she had dark red tentacles, the symbol of an elite.

The soldiers salute the elite, then quickly run off, going to join the other octolings in fighting Callie and Amber. Ika watches them warily, ready to run, when the elite says "I wouldn't do that if I were you."

Ika looks over his shoulder and sees the elite, her brush raised to his head. Ika's red eyes bore into her blue ones, and she simply narrows them as a challenge. Ika turns around slowly, fully facing the elite. Once he does, his own eyes narrow. "I know you. We fought once."

The elite nods, holstering her brush. "I am Elite Terra. I was part of the squad to apprehend Agents 1 and 2 when they were attempting to clear an outpost. You came in and knocked out my team, leaving them alive. And for that, I thank you."

Ika raises an eyebrow, his fists clenching and unclenching. "Thanks, huh? An oddity from an elite, but not unwelcome. Any way we can do this with reasoning?"

Terra shakes her head stiffly. "I am afraid not. That is not something I can do, despite your merciful actions." She lowers herself into a fighting stance, her arms raised.

Ika sighs, falling into his own stance. "Somehow I knew that was going to be the answer. Fine then." His eyes flash with something that seemed… foreign within Ika. "Let's dance."

The elite takes no time in rushing to Ika. Ika quickly leans to the side, dodging the punch, and tries to send one of his own. The octoling ducks under it, dropping to her feet. Terra tries to take Ika's feet out from under him, but he quickly jumps over the attack, and herself.

Terra springs back up to her feet, quick enough to block a kick from Ika. He then tries twisting himself to bring his other leg down, but Terra just grabs his leg and throws him away. Ika manages to twist himself midair to land correctly, sliding slightly.

He quickly rebounds back to the elite, trying to hit her with a quick jab to the head. She blocks the punch easily, ready to counter, when her eyes widen. It was just a faint!

As Terra was distracted by the jab, Ika was bringing his knee up to hit her stomach. Preoccupied with the jab, she couldn't react in time, and got hit square in the stomach. She gags loudly, gripping her stomach. Ika brings his hands up, grabbing them, and slams them down onto the stunned octoling's head. It connects, and the octoling is instantly floored, her head banging against the metal floor. She groans, but doesn't get up.

Ika breathes heavily, his injuries making the fights more taxing than before. "One good hit. That's all it takes." Ika looks around, ready to see who needs assistance, when he hears a scream.

His eyes widen and he turns to the origin, and sees Amber pinned down by an octoling. He had an ink knife to her neck, and Amber couldn't break free. Two more soldiers were nearby, holding guns to her head.

Ika's eyes widen at the sight of his loved one getting threatened. Then, something in him _snaps_. He grits his teeth, then runs to the octolings pinning down Amber. "LEAVE HER **ALONE!"**

The last word seemed to have a different tone to it, something more sinister and furious. The octolings turn to Ika in surprise, the two with guns aiming to take him out. Ika yells and leaps to the one holding a knife to Amber's neck. The octoling's eyes widen as Ika tackles him, bringing him away from Amber.

The octoling brings his hand up to protect himself, but it was futile. Ika pins him down and punches his face repeatedly, the octoling unable to protect himself. Eventually, the octoling falls unconscious from the beating.

Ika readies another punch, when something hits his back. He hisses in pain and turns around, looking at the other octolings. They stare at him in shock, one of them having the safety of his gun turned off.

Ika gets up and summons his brush, holding it tightly. He jumps forwards towards the octoling that hit him, swinging his brush. The octoling tries to protect himself with his gun, but it was useless against the wave of ink that came from the brush. He falls over unconscious.

Ika then quickly jabs his brush backwards, hitting the other octoling with the butt of his brush. The octoling's breath rushes out of his body and he grabs his stomach in pain. Ika brings his brush over his head, then brings it down onto the octoling's head.. The octoling crashes onto the floor with a sickening _crack_. Unlike Terra, he did not move.

The crowd goes silent as the noise reverberates around them. Octavio's eyes widen in surprise as Ika seems to have no reaction to the octoling's obvious death. "_Didn't Agent 4 react poorly to killing? Why is he not fazed?!"_

Ika breathes heavily, looking down at the octoling, his eyes shadowed. By this point, the other octolings had been knocked out, their unconscious bodies scattered across the arena. Amber lifts herself up, looking at Ika in concern. "Ika?"

There was no response, which worried Amber more. Then, Ika looks up at Octavio, and Amber's eyes widen in shock. They widen even more when Ika speaks.

"**I'm tired of your sick games Octavio. You threatened my loved ones, nearly killing one in the process. Because of that, you made the worst mistake of your life. You. Pissed. Me. Off." **

With that statement, Ika's eyes were seen once more. But, they weren't the focused gold he normally had or the determined red he had a bit ago. His sclera were pitch black, the color of his mask, and his irises were a blood red color.

Callie gasps in shock, and Amber was dumbfounded. No one knew how to react, some didn't even know what happened, but then Marie uttered his name. With a small voice, almost a whisper, and laced with fear and worry, she says. "_Akuma."_

The demon has been released.

**A/N**

**It has happened, finally. I've been waiting for this moment, as I can finally flush out Akuma's character. I hope this was written well, as I am not a good judge of these things. Because of this, any reviews are very appreciated. Thanks you for reading!**


	16. Chapter 15

**Chapter 15**

People were always scared of something they didn't understand. It was an understandable instinct ingrained into almost every creature. It should be no surprise then that Akuma came as a great shock to everyone.

Akuma himself would've found their reactions amusing, if not for the fact that his focus was completely on Octavio. His blood red eyes narrow, and his fists clench. Without turning, he says "**One, get Three out of here. I am dealing with Octavio."**

Callie nods rapidly, still shocked at this turn of events, and quickly runs to Amber. She helps the younger inkling up onto her feet, and helps her move away. Akuma can feel Amber's gaze on his back, but ultimately ignores it. He can deal with that later.

He steps forwards, cracking his knuckles, a fanged smirk beneath his mask. "**I'm going to enjoy this SO very much."**

Octavio looks at Akuma with a raised, non-existent eyebrow. "Defeat me? Really now?! And what can you do with no back up?"

Callie turns around, seeming to realize this. Amber looks at Akuma in worry, confusion, and fear. Akuma simply hangs his head, then laughs.

Octavio gets perplexed at this, and Akuma's laughter grows. He brings his hand up to his forehead, seemingly to control himself. Off in the distance, hidden in the audience, another set of blood red eyes narrow as they analyze the fight in front of him.

Octavio gets fed up with the noise and slams his wasabi on the turntable. "What?! What is so funny about your situation?!"

Akuma sighs, tears in his eyes. He looks up, a grin firmly plastered behind the mask. "**What's funny is that you think I can't take you down. I have other methods of attack than just a brush."**

Octavio raises his eye ridge once more in disbelief. Akuma smirks, noticing this clearly. "**Don't believe me? Just watch then."**

Akuma's grin suddenly vanishes, and ink seems to pour out of his body. The tank behind him was losing ink rapidly, showing the source of this ink. Akuma closes his eyes, taking a deep breath. When he opens them, something else is seen. A tinge of gold, a ring around his eyes, made its way into his irises. He narrows his eyes, now devoid of tears, as the ink circles around himself like a tornado. "**Let's go."**

Then, without warning, Akuma blasts forwards. Octavio's eyes widen in surprise as Akuma appears under his mech. The ink around him moves to his fist, forming an ever-shifting ball in his clenched hand. Akuma throws the punch forwards, colliding with the barrier.

The invisible shield shimmers brightly, waves pulsating from the collision point. Ink splatters across the area, before falling off and rejoining the ink around Akuma's form.

Octavio tries to ram Akuma with the mech, but the inkling simply jumps back to his original location. He smirks and says "**Just as I thought. An ink fluctuation barrier. Powerful in its own right, but can be taken out with a strong enough hit."**

Octavio's eyes twitch, giving Akuma all he needs to know he is right. Akuma kneels down, then dashes forwards once more. Octavio was ready this time and launched four missiles at the inkling, trying to slow him down.

Akuma approaches the four converging bombs, and simply smirks. He raises a hand up in front of him, and the ink forms a shield. The missiles hit the shield, leaving no scratches, or even a splotch of ink, on Akuma's body.

Octavio growls and twists the turntable once more, pressing a few buttons in the process. More missiles shoot out, this time with double the speed.

Akuma's eyes narrow as he sees this. He knew that faster meant bigger, and bigger was bad. His shield wasn't very strong, and thus couldn't take big hits. Akuma slides to a stop, then jumps over the missiles.

The missiles turned slowly to hit him, but Akuma was ready. His brush coalesces into his hand and he wordlessly sends a wave of ink at the missiles. They begin short-circuiting, and then explode.

Akuma rights himself midair, landing behind the mech. The ink forms around his fists and he prepares another punch, when his eyes widen. Speakers behind the mech suddenly begin spurting ink. Akuma jumps back, and just in time to.

The speakers shoot out a massive stream of ink, propelling the mech forwards. The mech begins hovering over the lake of ink, and Octavio turns it around. He seemed confident, but inside, he was worried. That punch caused actual damage to the barrier, or else it wouldn't fluctuate like it did. Instead of showing his fear though, he says something else that was on everyone's mind. "What are you doing? How is the ink moving like that?"

Akuma raises his fist and says "**This? Oh, this is a little trick I picked up after learning to make my brush with ink. It's just advanced ink manipulation. We inklings do it all the time for specials and bombs."**

Octavio's eyes narrow and he says "But an inkling or octoling needs assistance from various means to get a special working. How are you doing that?"

Akuma shrugs and says "**Alright, it isn't as strong as a special, but the principal still applies. Now, we done talking?"**

Octavio narrows his eyes in response, and a killer wail lowers from beneath the mech. Akuma rolls his eyes and says "**Give me a challenge though!"**

Akuma instantly takes off running, the mech turning to try and keep up. The killer wail lets out a loud shriek, and the beam forms. Akuma smirks, stops his running, and jumps backwards. The beam sails by his face, and he stares, unflinchingly, at the high-powered death beam.

Akuma slides to a stop, then takes off towards Octavio once more. Octavio tsks, then presses some more buttons. Eventually, his tentacles land on a button. The fists on the mech shake, then launch forwards at incredible speeds.

Akuma's eyes widen, not expecting that, and he prepares himself for a jump. Akuma manages to clear the fist's area, and he narrows his eyes as he notices the fist leave a big puddle of ink.

He looks up once more, and his eyes widen in shock. The other fist was nearly on top of him! With no other options, Akuma brings his fist back, covers it in ink, and punches the fist. Hopefully, this'll stall the fist for him to-

His train of thought is derailed as, instead of the fist stalling, it gets coated in ink and sent flying backwards. Akuma and Octavio's eyes widen in surprise, more so for Octavio. He quickly presses a button and the fist detaches from the mech. With the same burst of speed as before, Octavio avoids the massive mechanical fist.

Akuma on the other hand simply watches the fist disappear into the ink. He suddenly smirks, and turns to Octavio. He notices another fist is in place, and his smirk only widens. "**The fists are your weaknesses, ne?"**

Octavio seems to sweat a bit, mainly to the fact that, yes, it was his weakness, but also he was put off that the guy named _demon_ said _ne._

Octavio shakes his head, then says "It won't matter. You're going down soon, VERY soon!"

Akuma's smirk just widens, and he motions his hand in a "then come get me" motion. Octavio's eye twitches, and he begins rapidly pressing buttons. This time, three killer wails lower, all trained at Akuma.

Akuma frowns, then begins running. He wasn't normally one for conversation when battling. He WAS Ika's bad side, after all. Akuma looks at the killer wails and sees them shaking, but the outer two were also moving their aim. Judging by their position, they would lock down either side of him.

Akuma just smirks and says "**I see. Nice try, but it won't work!"** The killer wails emit their final screech, and Akuma jumps into the air. He smirks widely beneath his mask, watching the beams pass below him, far out of reach.

Then, without warning, something hits his back. Akuma's mouth opens wide and he gags as his back arcs in a way it shouldn't. Akuma rockets down to the ground, clanging against the metal and falling into the beams.

Akuma's screams are heard from in the beams, but they soon die down. They reveal a beaten, bloodied Akuma, his eyes draining of the red. Armor completely torn, it showed Akuma's bare chest, and the large quantities of blood on it.

Soon, the red dissipates from Akuma's eyes, leaving them golden once more. Ika takes a shuddering breath, then coughs violently. Blood spews out of his mouth, and he grimaces as he watches Octavio.

Octavio strides over to his mech in his humanoid form. Ika's eyes narrow as he sees Octavio's boot covered in blood. So, that was how Akuma got defeated. Octavio must've jumped over Akuma while he was distracted and kicked him into the beams. Arrogance was a great distraction…

Ika curses himself for letting Akuma take control, but it is quickly drowned out as Octavio brings the mech over to Ika's prone form. Octavio, now as an octopus, readies a fist. "This is your end Four."

The fist launches, and Ika closes his eyes, bracing himself for impact. And he felt it, but it felt wrong. Suddenly, Ika's body is rolling across the arena, more pain flaring up, but not a deadly kind. Then, a scream rings out.

Ika's eyes snap open, and he looks at the screamer. It was Callie… and her leg was directly beneath the fist. Ika's eyes widen as he realizes that Callie saved his life. But now, she was injured.

Ika grits his teeth and yells "Leave her **ALONE!"** Ika grimaces at the deeper tone the last word had and thinks viciously "_NO! Not this time! NOT AGAIN!"_

Luckily, Ika was able to keep control. But, Akuma or not, Ika was too injured to stand. He falls down, watching in despair as the fist retracts.

Callie watches Octavio with wide, tear-filled eyes. She tried to save Ika, and she did, but now she was crippled. Her leg would heal if brought to a hospital, but right now, she was USELESS!

Octavio just chuckles and says "Oh well. If I can't have Four, then I'll settle for Number One."

Callie's eyes widen in fear as the fist is sent at her, mockingly slow. She watches it, and images flash in her mind. Some she could make out. Others, not so much. But there was one, one that took her attention. A flash of yellow.

Callie blinks, then realizes the yellow was real. She watches as the fist slows, brought to a near standstill by the barrage of yellow ink hitting it. Then, the fist suddenly recoils and flies backwards.

Everyone's eyes widen in surprise, Octavio's most of all, as the fist slams against the barrier. The barrier flashes red and pulsates violently, a crack forming where the fist hit. The crack fades, along with the barrier, but everyone could see the damage done.

Octavio's eyes go wide and he yells "WHO DID THAT?!" His eyes search carefully, before landing on someone, someone still standing. She was tired, and slightly injured, but still in battle shape.

Amber takes in a few more breaths before standing straight. She brandishes her Hero Shot, then readies it for fire. She didn't say a word, but the message was clear.

_"__I am ready to take you on, and I won't fail."_

**A/N**

**This fight really is something. I didn't expect it to be this long, but here we are! Also, props to anyone who finds the symbolism for Akuma in this chapter. Hint, it is right before the battle. Spot any differences to his previous showings.**

**Anyways, thanks for reading! And, if you can, please review! I do read them all and love to hear what you guys think. Thanks!**


	17. Chapter 16

**Chapter 16**

It was a stand-down of epic proportions. Two of the greatest fighters of the modern era stared each other down, willing the other to make the first move. The crowd was silent, Ika and Callie were off to the side, and even Marie was holding her breath. Amber's foot shifts.

Octavio slams down on multiple buttons, imputing the command for a volley of missiles. Amber slides to the right and begins running towards Octavio, her gaze planted firmly on the missiles' path. She reaches the first missile and jumps over it, easily avoiding the explosion.

She sidesteps the second, shoots down a third, and slides under the fourth. Octavio's eye twitches as Amber easily evades the rest of his missiles. He twists the turntable, making his mech turn around, and blasts off over the ink.

The ground rumbles and Amber wobbles slightly as the arena splits apart. The moving platforms slowly float to a spot in front of her, forming a pathway. A path straight to Octavio.

Amber begins running as fast as she can to get to the end of the path. Octavio presses some more buttons, and suddenly some calamari-like bombs are launched at her. Amber's eyes widen and she slides to a stop, unable to move faster than the bombs.

The bombs land, but unlike what she thought would happen, they only crack. Then, from within the bombs, come out Octarian regulars. The tentacle-looking grunts stare directly at her, then begin charging forwards.

Amber easily sidesteps one, then leans to the side as another spits a glob of ink at her. She quickly lowers her gun and takes aim. With the pull of the trigger and a quick sweep across the floor, three Octarians splat loudly.

A sudden screech is heard from across the path, and Amber turns in surprise. Another killer wail was lowered from the mech, and it was preparing to fire.

With Amber's guard lowered, the fourth Octarian jumps onto Amber's backside. Amber gasps, stumbling for a bit, as the Octarian gurgles loudly in victory. Amber reaches behind herself and grips the Octarian's leg, then throws it over her shoulder. It screams loudly as it is sent across the arena to Callie and Ika's position. Callie wastes no time in splatting the creature.

Another screech is heard, and Amber turns towards the mech once more. She eyes the killer wail, then jumps high into the air. The deadly sound waves fly right past her position, narrowly avoiding Ika and Callie. Amber turns to the mech again, and her eyes widen. Octavio wasn't inside!

She hears a rush of air above her, and remembering Ika's fight, looks up. She sees Octavio turn humanoid, his leg outstretched and ready to hit her into the beam below. Amber frowns, tensing her body and ready to counter.

As Octavio falls, Amber's body shifts to the right, onto the side of Octavio's leg. Once he reaches her position, Amber aims her gun at Octavio's chest, who flew right past her, not expecting the change in position.

Octavio stares at the barrel of the guy, eyes wide in surprise, then at the holder. Amber smirks, then pulls the trigger.

A torrent of ink slams against Octavio's chest repeatedly. He grunts and grits his teeth as the splatters stain his clothing and burns his skin. Amber's aim adjusts with Octavio's falling form, and soon the king hits the ground, the beam from the killer wail gone.

Grunting in pain, Octavio grips his chest, then turns back into an octopus. Before Amber can even react, Octavio is jumping back to his mech, ink trailing behind him. He lands flawlessly, turning his angry gaze to the inkling in front of him.

He presses a few more buttons, loudly proclaiming "I've had ENOUGH of you SLIMY HIPSTERS! LET'S END THIS!"

Amber simply shifts her feet, her stance back into place. She narrows her eyes as Octavio presses a particularly flashy button. Suddenly, the platforms around her begin moving once more. She hears Ika's and Callie's cries of surprise, and Amber herself only just barely keeps her balance.

Octavio laughs loudly as he flies around the shifting platforms. "Ha! Try keeping up with me now, _agent!"_

With that declaration, Octavio flies towards Amber's position. Amber frowns and plants her feet down, successfully keeping her balance and preparing herself to attack.

As the mech approaches, Octavio swipes one of the turntables. Once he does so, a fist shakes, and then launches at Amber at high speeds. As this happens, he presses a few more buttons, and a flurry of eight missiles launch at Amber as well.

Amber's eyes widen as the missiles overtake the fist in speed, rapidly approaching her position. She was originally going to ink the fist and send it flying back, but that wasn't an option now with the missiles rapidly closing in. She looks around herself at the small platform that was _still_ moving. She huffs in annoyance, and then her gaze flickers to the side. Another platform was approaching, one on a slightly lower level than her own. Her mind begins rapidly making assessments, and then she grins.

Amber runs at the missiles, making Octavio raise an eye ridge in surprise. With the platform ending almost right in front of the agent, he expected her to dodge to the side, which would give the fist time to slam into the slam platform with little escape.

Instead, the agent runs straight forwards, right towards her imminent death. Octavio's eyes narrow, searching for some sort of plan to these motions. She couldn't be suicidal, right?

Amber reaches the edge of the platform, then jumps. Her eyes widen, staring at the ink-filled lake below her, before she lands on something solid. Not wasting time to congratulate herself, she jumps once more.

Octavio's eyes widened in shock at what he just saw. The inkling just used a missile as a springboard! He growls, then prepares the other fist. With only a second of preparation, the other fist launches as well.

With her focus on _not falling to her death_, Amber almost doesn't realize how close the first fist is to her. When she uses another missile as a springboard, she looks up, and her eyes widen in surprise at how close the fist is. She yelps, but still lowers her gun and fires. The fist begins getting coated in ink, rapidly slowing down.

Amber begins falling, no longer focused on the missiles. She looks down, still firing at the fist, and notices the platform moving into place below her. She grins, then hears a sudden _clank_ as the fist recoils backwards.

Octavio's eyes widen in surprise at the fists return, and he presses a button. He manages to get the mech to burst to one side, but the fist still grazes the barrier. More specifically, it grazes the damaged spot from before. The crack reforms midair and the barrier fluctuates rapidly, flashing a deep red color.

As Amber lands, she looks up, and her eyes widen in shock. Another fist was almost on top of her! She kneels down and begins firing, when her gun clicks with an empty tank. Amber curses, then dives into an ink trail left from previous shots.

The fist collides with the platform, creating a pool of ink and sliding into it. Amber, her tank refilled, looks at the fist with a frown. When the fist begins jerking back towards the mech, trying to free itself, she knows what to do.

Amber begins unloading her tank on the fist, but another thought crosses her mind. Even with the barrier down, Octavio can probably keep the mech moving or out of her range to stay relatively uninjured. If she wanted to take him down, she had to take him down up close and personal.

Suddenly, a crazy, almost suicidal idea enters her mind. Her eyes widen, and she glances at Octavio. He was still fumbling with the last hit and not paying attention. When another _clank_ is heard, signalling the fist's return, she knows what to do.

Amber runs as fast as she can as the fist recoils back towards the mech. She slides to a stop at the edge of the platform, turns into a squid, then super jumps, _right towards Octavio_.

Octavio hears the loud clank and turns towards the sound, and his eyes widen immensely in surprise. Another platform appeared in front of them, AND the second fist was almost on top of him!

With no time to dodge, Octavio simply braces himself for the inevitable impact. The fist collides with the barrier, and the barrier fluctuates violently. Then, with a loud _crack_, the barrier disappears like glass shards.

The sound of the barrier falling apart and his own disorientation from the hit left Octavio wide open for the next event. As the barrier falls and the ink temporarily blocks his vision, a sudden sound is heard. Octavio turns to look in front of him, when suddenly, a figure appears.

Turning back into a humanoid, Amber had her fist drawn back and her beak grit. Octavio's eyes widen, and Amber screams "HYAH!"

She sends her fist forwards, propelled by the super jump. Her punch lands solidly on Octavio's cheek. The king stumbles back in shock, slamming against the wall. The mech jerks with the sudden motion and weight.

Amber stumbles, looking around at the mech while Octavio is disoriented. First, she pushes the button that made the platforms move. As she turns and sees the arena begin to assemble itself again. She turns to Octavio.

The king was reeling from the punch, his eyes wandering aimlessly in an attempt to orient himself. The violently moving mech didn't help much in that regard.

Seeing an opportunity present itself, Amber runs towards Octavio's stumbling form. She grabs his 'waist', which makes the DJ gasp in shock, and Amber runs back to the front of the mech. Octavio tries to break her grip, but with the punch disorienting his mind, he couldn't muster the strength.

Amber prepares herself for a jump, when the mech shakes violently. Amber's eyes widen at the sudden smoke coming from the mech. She turns back to the arena, crouches down, then jumps.

Octavio firm in her arms, she flies across the air, trying to reach the arena in time. Ika and Callie watched with wide eyes, while the crowd held its breath. Then, the mech explodes.

The shockwave slams into Amber and Octavio, and the agent yells in shock as her velocity doubles. She hits the arena and rolls across it rapidly. She slams against an injured Ika, who stops her from moving farther. She looks up at him and smiles, exhausted, in victory, Ika and Callie tiredly returning the expression.

Octavio wasn't so lucky. When the explosion hit, he was ripped from Amber's grip. The sudden velocity change and Amber's hold change his trajectory, right towards a descending platform. Octavio launches like a rocket towards the platform's side, which formed a lowering metal wall. With a loud _clang_, Octavio's form hits the wall, and the king falls unconscious.

Pieces of the destroyed mech fall into the ink lake. The agents look around with exhaustion, Callie's leg still bleeding and trying to reform. Ika's battered body tried to collapse, but he willed it to go on. They were still in enemy territory.

Then, without warning, cheering breaks out. The agents look at the crowd in surprise. They expected hostility, a fight for their lives, maybe even their last, due to the _sheer number_ of octolings in the stands. But… they were cheering. And, judging from the yells, they were cheering for them.

Amber stands up slowly, and the cheering nearly doubles in volume. Amber looks around with a tired smile, when suddenly music plays loudly. Calamari Inkantation. Amber looks up, and sees quite possibly the craziest thing yet. A flying truck, piloted by Sheldon of all people, was descending to their position.

The agents all begin to stand, Ika and Amber helping Callie stand. They all shuffle to the truck, ignoring the crowd beginning to sing along with the music. The side of the truck opens, revealing a seating area similar to that of a military deployment helicopter.

Marie looks out at them all with worry, relief, joy, and fear all at the same time. Seeing their injured forms set her on edge, but the fact the battle was over was too much of a relief. The agents wordlessly enter the truck and fall against the seats, trying to regain some energy. Marie looks over to Octavio and silently walks over to the back of the truck. It opens up, and she sees a massive snowglobe. Large enough to hold Octavio inside.

As she grabs the lift and rolls the snowglobe over to Octavio's unconscious form, she thinks about recent events. When Ika unleashed Akuma, she knew she had to do something. So, she called in Sheldon, who was actually their weapon supplier, and the two of them began their descent into the HQ. Luckily, they knew exactly where the passageway for flying vehicles was. It was sealed off during the war to prevent the Octarians from deploying once more while underground. Now, they could use it to enter the underground and escape.

Marie quietly loads the king into his new prison, then quickly goes back to the truck. Unnerved by the crowd's cheering and singing, she quickly enters the truck, and Sheldon begins their ascent. Only a few octolings took notice of the events that just played out.

Octavius, his suit in place and hands behind his back like the politician he was, stares at the retreating truck. Then, he turns to the crowd dispersing around him, many still singing the… _Calamari Inkantation_.

Octavius growls lowly, then looks at the ink lake, where many mechanical parts are floating silently. Contrary to popular belief, the lake wasn't deep. Maybe a foot or two, just enough to throw off the agents from entering. Still fatal for an inkling though.

With a twist of his heel, Octavius begins to depart, two octoling soldiers following. Quietly, to himself, Octavius says "Octavio's failure will be the spark needed to commence the plan. So, let's begin."

The door shuts silently behind him, and not a single octoling took note of his disappearance. The battle was over, and soon they began leaving as well. The events of today would go down in history.


	18. Chapter 17

**Chapter 17**

Rain falls around a battered and exhausted group. Thanks to the truck's roof, the water didn't hit them. One quick touch showed it was acid rain. Lethally dangerous for any inkling. Marie glances back at her family, noting their conditions.

Callie's leg is having issues reforming. More than likely she doesn't have enough ink to do so. Any longer and her leg could get infected. She would need to be sent to a private hospital to recover. A cover story would need to be put in place as well for the populace…

Amber is battered and bruised, but would ultimately recover on her own. Marie smiles warmly as she remembers the young girl's fight with Octavio. She stood up admirably against the raging king. In the near future, she could become the next best agent.

Then, Marie turns her gaze to Ika. His body is bleeding from certain areas, and he is barely conscious. Once the battle ended and the adrenaline stopped rushing, his injuries caught up to him. He is currently the most in danger. Not only did he fall into two Killer Wails, but Akuma forced him to fight when injured so greatly.

The pop star frowns as she thinks about the other issue. Akuma, the demonic, anger-filled side of Ika that lusted for blood. She shivers just thinking of that deranged smile on Ika's normally kind face. It didn't fit him, and she knows Ika hates Akuma for it. However, Ika's mentality wasn't the only problem. Amber would want answers, and more than likely, Marie wouldn't be able to give them.

Silence falls, both in and out of mind, and only the pattering of rain upon the truck remains. No one said a word, and no one cheered. Soon, they would have even bigger issues than before.

* * *

Callie was safely dropped off at a private medical facility, one that treats celebrities and high-profile patients to keep the fans and reviewers away. Marie went onto the news and gave a cover story.

"I am… very sorry to inform mine and Callie's fans that Callie has been severely injured. Her right leg was destroyed from the knee down due to a severe accident on set. We can assure you that the equipment has been completely replaced and will be checked at least three times before production now. Callie also wishes to tell you that she is fine and should recover in a few weeks. We hope you continue to stay happy in these tough times! Stay fresh, and wish Callie good luck!"

The TV shuts off and Ika sighs in relief. It was at least a believable cover story, and for now, the agency would remain a secret. The jet-black inkling looks towards the door to his own room in the IPH (Inkopolis Private Hospital). Due to his own status as the best fighter in the League, he was also considered high-profile enough to stay here. However, due to his much more severe injuries, easily put off as a freak training accident, he had to stay in the emergency wing. He couldn't see Callie right now. Hell, he couldn't even get out of this bed, even if he tried!

Suddenly, a powerful cough racks Ika's body. His torso bends deeply, his head nearly touching the blanket over his legs. His lungs burn in pain, and his breaths are ragged and dry.

The injuries he took from the Killer Wails were immense, and he has been having these violent bursts of coughing every few hours. His sleep has been massively reduced due to this, and he has been feeling tired ever since the battle.

"_**Weakling"**_

Ika's eyes widen immensely as a sudden voice invades his thoughts. He looks around, startled, but sees nobody. He blinks, the coughs subsiding, then sighs. He must be REALLY tired if he is hallucinating.

"_**I can assure you, I am not a hallucination."**_

Once again, Ika's eyes snap open as the voice returns. However, this time, Ika realizes something. The voice wasn't actually HEARD. It wasn't coming from the room, a machine, or anything around him. No, it was in his HEAD. And that meant only one thing. "Akuma…"

"_**Finally realized it, ne?"**_

Ika growls, then thinks, "_How are you speaking to me? You never have consciousness when I have control!"_

"_**Funny how that works. See, I never just… 'disappear', as you put it. And I most certainly don't just fall asleep as we live our days."**_

Ika's eye twitches in anger. That last statement irked him majorly. "_OUR days?! You are NOT me! Never, EVER, try to compare yourself to me!"_

Nothing but a deep chuckle is heard in Ika's head. Then, Akuma speaks again. "_**And how are we not one and the same? You know, better than anyone else, that you are to blame for my formation. You suppressed yourself. What else was I to do but take control when you decided to erase a part of you?"**_

Ika's mouth opens, pauses, then closes again. He scowls, shaking his head as if trying to remove the demon from his thoughts. Akuma mentally smirks and continues onwards. "_**I was always a part of you, a part of you torn from the whole, shunned and cast out by the very being that created me, IS me. I should be bitter, but I am still you, and you are me. If I hate myself, who can I trust in this world? Besides, I won't just sit back and let you kill us both with your reckless actions."**_

Ika raises an eyebrow, wondering what he could've done that was reckless. A sudden memory of him jumping in front of Octavio's Killer Wail pops into his head, and he blushes in embarrassment.

The jet-black inkling wants to retort when the door to his room opens. In walks the young Agent 3, and Ika watches as she slowly enters. Amber takes in Ika's bandaged form, his torso covered in white bindings, and his face patches up in certain areas, especially the nose.

She smiles at her teacher and says "Nice to see you are doing good Ika."

Ika chuckles, his conversation with Akuma put to the side. "I've seen better days though. I look like a half-wrapped mummy."

Amber chuckles in turn, then closes the door behind herself. She walks over to the table in the corner, grabs a chair, and pulls it to Ika's bedside. Then, her expression turns serious. "Ok Ika, we have something we seriously need to talk about.

Ika looks at her strangely as Akuma chuckles darkly. "_**Oh, this'll be interesting." **_

The yellow inkling gazes into his eyes with a calm, but almost calculating expression. "How do I start this… you remember the whole Octavio fight, right?"

Ika nods, pieces forming together in his mind. He didn't like where this was going. Amber looks at him with a frown and says "So, what happened? What was that 'Akuma' thing" "_**Oi"**_ "Marie mentioned?"

Nothing more to say, Amber simply waits for a response. Ika looks down, cursing Akuma once more for constantly interfering with his life. Akuma doesn't respond, meaning that Ika would be left alone this time.

The older inkling sighs, then looks down to his lap, gathering his thoughts. "This was a long time coming, wasn't it. You… probably should've learned about this earlier."

Ika looks up, taking in a slow, deep breath. He sighs loudly, blinks, and continues speaking. "What you saw in the arena… it is something I have a very hard time dealing with. As you know, I have a… condition, of sorts. It's a very serious one at that, and dangerous if left unchecked.

Ika pauses, waiting to see if Akuma would make any snide comments. Hearing nothing, he continues. "Before I explain _what _Akuma is, I need to explain _how_ he formed. Then, hopefully, more will make sense to you."

Amber shifts in her seat as Ika looks at her. She nods in understanding, and Ika nods in return. "It all started a very long time ago…"

"I was only a young boy at the time, barely forming my humanoid form, and still with Callie and our parents. We lived in a little house on the edge of Calamari County, near a large set of woods. Keep this in mind, it'll be important later."

Ika grimaces, gripping his head, as if in pain. Amber frowns, tilting her head in confusion as her eyes show concern. "Are you ok?"

Ika nods, slowly removing his hand from his face. His grimace shrinks to a frown and he says, "Yeah, I'm fine. Just bad memories." The older inkling sighs then continues the story.

"Anyways, it all started one evening during the summer. Our mother was inside, cleaning up after dinner, while I and Callie were outside with our father. He was teaching us some basic survival techniques. That night, he decided to teach us how to cook over a fire. That might've been our biggest mistake ever…"

"Everything was fine. We had managed to properly start the fire, and we were beginning to roast some salmon over the flames. Then, something came out of the woods. I don't know if it spotted us, if it followed us home from the woods, or if it was something else. However, I believe it may have smelt the food we were cooking."

Ika grimaces again, but this time doesn't grab his head. "I've heard stories of this creature from the ancient land dwellers, the humans. They revered these creatures, often creating gods or demons based on these creatures."

Amber frowns and says, "What creature could've possibly survived this long?"

Ika looks up at her, his eyes stone-cold and grave. "Wolves."

Amber gasps quietly, her eyes widening, and her mind connecting dots quicker than she liked. Ika nods solemnly, then continues his story. "There were only three of them, more than enough for my father and mother to handle due to our well-trained backgrounds. However, they were caught by surprise, taken off guard."

"The second the wolves growled at us and my father saw them, he instantly told us to run and get inside. Heh, we should've known predators wouldn't let the prey go so easily."

A flash of pain hits Ika's head, and he could swear he heard a deep voice groaning in anguish in his mind. Then, a vision.

"_RUN! Get inside, NOW!" _

"_Come on Callie! We need to go!"_

"_DON'T YOU DARE TRY TO TAKE THEM FROM ME, MONSTERS!"_

Ika hisses in pain, breaths out, then finally sighs. His eyes, ladled with worry, look down to the ground as he continues speaking. "Father instantly grabbed his gun, and not just a Splattershot or Charger. It was a hunting rifle, one used for those not made of ink. He fended off the wolves so me and Callie could get inside. However, one managed to slip by him. It sprinted straight towards us. I thought we were going to die."

"Then, my mother comes outside, wielding a sword of all things. Apparently, it was the only thing she had time to grab. She held the final wolf off so we could get inside. And it worked. We were safe. I took Callie to her room, gave her a stuffed toy, and told her to stay put. She nodded in agreement, willing to listen due to her fear, and I went to try and help my family."

Ika growls, his eyes flashing with rage. "I was too late. I walked outside to find my mother's sword laying in the grass near the woods, bloodied and forgotten. Blood was all around the area, and she wasn't anywhere to be found. My father had managed to kill one of the wolves, but he was heavily injured. He had sustained a deep gash in his right side, most likely from the wolves clawing at him as an attack."

"Now, from what I learned, wolves hunt in packs. They have hierarchies, and as such, will back down when they feel threatened and losing the hunt. These wolves, they weren't the same. They were rabid, vicious. My father killed one, the other was missing, probably dead, and the third was heavily wounded. But it just. Kept. COMING."

The jet-black inkling's eyes flash red for just a moment, and Amber's gaze sharpens as she notices. "I was a fool, running out to help. I saw the blood and was instantly petrified in fear. Something bad happened, I knew something was wrong, and all that served to do was keep me in place. I was the perfect target for an angry predator."

"The wolf my father was fighting saw me frozen in fear and ran right for me. If it couldn't get my dad, it'd get me, I guess. My father was horrified to see it change targets, and the fact I was outside at all. The wolf ran faster than he could, so he turned into a squid and did the one thing you should never do when injured. He super jumped, full force, right into the wolf."

Amber flinches in empathy. Super jumping to hit someone was fine and all, and quite unexpected, but not only doing it when injured, but also that close? It was just begging for one of your soft organs in that state to rupture.

Ika glances up and he frowns grimly. "I can tell you know where this is going. Well, my father did it anyway, and he knew the risks all too well. He slammed into that wolf so hard it killed the thing on the spot, its own injuries making it too weak to survive the impact. However, my dad was too weak to survive as well."

"When he reverted to normal, he told me his heart was ruptured with that reckless move. He had only seconds to live. He smiled at me and said only one thing. 'Take care of her.' Then, h-he stopped moving."

Ika takes a deep breath, tears beginning to trickle from his eyes. "H-He died, r-right in front of me. And his e-eyes, those c-cold, dead eyes. W-Why should a m-man like h-h-him, have stones for eyes?!"

Ika looks down, shielding his eyes as his teeth clench, tears fall silently as he sobs quietly. Amber frowns, her own painful past allowing her to have a small bit of empathy.

The tears stop, eventually, and Ika himself frowns. He takes a deep breath, then speaks. "**Ever since that day, I've been split apart. I have become terrified of death, and it triggers a change. One personality, the broken whole, the Ika you know and love. Then there is me, the 'dark side', Akuma."**

Amber's eyes widen in surprise, as Ika, or Akuma, looks up, revealing his black sclera and blood-red irises. "**I am the embodiment of Ika's negative emotions. His rage, his guilt, his desire to rid himself of the painful memories. All that I am, he has lost."**

"**Inklings are very much like our predecessors, the humans. We even share similar body shapes. However, we are much more malleable than the more resilient mammals. We are cephalopods, barely even having any mammal-like traits. Not to mention our bodies are made of ink. Just as simply as our body can break apart, so can our minds. Though, the mind is much harder to heal than the body."**

Akuma's frown never lessens, and he never even threatens Amber once. Amber blinks in surprise, not expecting this at all. "**When an inkling becomes traumatized, they normally undergo the same process any sentient being goes through. Denial, anger, depression, maybe even some PTSD. Then there are the select few who are like Ika."**

"**This event triggered something in Ika's mind. That ancient power, the one that allows us to manifest a liquid like ink and turn it into a dangerous weapon. The same power that allows us to jump miles with proper preparation. That same power created me."**

"**When he saw Father's dead eyes, he snapped. He became terrified of any dead being, as it would remind him of that fateful day. However, he also shunned his emotions, not taking proper care of himself. This separation formed a new entity, one that was a part of a broken whole. Akuma, the demon, and bearer of Ika's grief."**

Akuma's eyes narrow, and then he sighs. "**I am the shunned one, the shattered part of a broken whole. I work to keep Ika alive, to reunite us in union once more, and to heal his wounds. In the meantime, those who pose a threat to me or my loved ones will NEVER harm again."**

Akuma closes his eyes, leaving a shaken Amber behind. Akuma was a very scary individual and one that Amber could barely even begin to decipher. A shattered part of a broken whole? The bearer of Ika's grief? What does that mean?

Ika groans, rubbing his head. He glances around, then blinks in surprise. "Nothing. Nothing happened this time. Why didn't he do anything?"

Amber blinks, then mutters, "Do you mean Akuma?"

"Yes. I… I was sure he would do something. He never takes control without doing something I hate."

Amber looks at Ika for a bit, and then her gaze turns critical. "Did you not hear anything that Akuma said?"

Ika moves his gaze to Amber and says "What? He said something?"

Amber frowns and replies, "You didn't hear anything, did you?" Ika shakes his head in negative. Amber sighs. "Well, it was a lot. Honestly, I'm trying to decipher it all right now. I'll be sure to tell you later, ok?"

Ika nods, a frown resting on his face. Akuma said something to Amber, but just what was it? However much Ika didn't like to wait for something like this, he knew Amber went through a lot of information today. She'll need to process it all before she can properly try and explain anything that happened.

The young agent then sighs and says, "Alright, I'm gonna go home now, alright? I'm glad you talked to me about this."

Ika nods, the same thought entering his head. "Yeah. Thank you for stopping by."

Amber smiles and nods. She moves to the door, then turns to Ika. "Get well soon, k? I want my teacher back safe and sound."

Ika chuckles and nods. Amber's smile widens, and she leaves the room. Ika, left alone to his thoughts once more, begins wondering what Akuma could've possibly said to Amber. Not only that, but he had to repress the once-hidden memories. It's was what he's always done.

So why did it feel wrong to do so now?

**-Author Notes-**

**OK THEN. This finally happened. I don't want to ruin the mood this chapter sets, so I'll keep this short.**

**NO, the story is not dead. College prep and this pandemic has really drained my time and energy to write. I haven't felt inspiration in a long time. Thankfully, that changed, and I can begin writing once more.**

**So, I thank you all for waiting this long, and I hope you enjoy.**


	19. Chapter 18

**Chapter 18**

Time passed quickly, and Ika was able to leave the hospital. Also, Callie had to stay in the hospital longer due to complications with her leg reforming. A disease found its way inside the wound, and they have to clear it out and help Callie reform the leg. It'll be a week or two until she is released from the hospital.

As such, Ika is by himself at the current moment. He is watching Inkopolis, simply enjoying the sights and bustling populace. He could go to the Battle Tower, but after that massive mission in Octo Valley, he didn't feel like fighting for a long while.

The older fighter is sitting at a cafe during this sight-seeing, enjoying a nice cup of coffee in the meantime. He takes a sip, enjoying the feeling the warm liquid brought to him on this autumn evening. The seasons were beginning to change, and it wasn't as warm as it was during their journey in Octo Valley. It was a nice change to the cool that was descending around him.

Ika sighs, bringing the empty cup away from his lips. He looks out once more across the sea of people. A few turned every now and then to acknowledge his presence, some even recognizing him as the top fighter, but otherwise, he was left undisturbed.

However, Ika is getting restless. He stands up and walks out of the cafe, getting rid of his cup in the process. Hands stuffed into his pockets, he begins moving towards the Octo Valley entrance grate, hoping that maybe Amber or Marie would be willing to distract him from waiting for Callie's release.

The jet-black inkling casually strolls into the alley, and with a quick glance to see if anyone is watching, he jumps into the grate. The ride is short and quick, and Ika is dispensed into Octo Valley.

Posture unchanging, Ika walks to the cabin, opening the door and checking inside. He grins when he sees his grandfather, the old inkling giving him a friendly wave of greeting. Ika is about to speak, and then he notices Marie exiting one of the rooms in the cabin. Inside was a large array of agent weapons, equipment, and other various supplies only found at the cabinet.

Cap'n smiles at his grandson and says, "You caught us just as we were ready to leave. Nice to remove one of the inklings from the list right from the start."

Ika's smile drops to an impassive frown, one more of annoyance than actual sadness or anger. "You two are leaving?"

Marie nods, speaking up but focusing on sorting her supplies. "Yes. I decided I need to start training again. No longer will I sit idle and let my past define me. If I am going to give my all from now on, I need to hone my skills once more."

Ika nods in understanding at that. Marie has been dead-set on improving herself ever since her acceptance of Daniel's passing. Ever since she gave Amber that cape, it was as if a weight was removed. He is glad his cousin was so much happier and more content than before.

The agent smiles and says, "In that case, I'll leave you to your preparations. Have fun you two!" His family wave at him in response as he leaves back to Inkopolis. Now back in the city, Ika sighs as he finds himself at square one, and no closer to something that can occupy his time.

With his cousin and grandpa leaving, he had only one more option. However, he frowns as he recalls that Amber wanted some alone time after the mission. He could respect that since he himself wanted to do something else. He just… didn't think it is ok right now for him to be alone, not with Akuma obviously gaining more strength in his mind.

The idea begins to settle in his mind. Was Akuma really getting 'stronger', per se? He was just another personality, a broken part of his mind gone rebellious. Although, why was Akuma able to speak in his mind? Why now, and not before?

Ika grunts softly, pushing the thoughts to the side. He'd worry about that later, for now, he seriously needed to find something to do. He turns to the Battle Tower, but then turns away. Maybe Sheldon needs some help around the shop. With that idea in mind, he goes towards the Agency's best supplier and closest ally.

* * *

Night settles quietly, and with it, the final customer to Sheldon's shop leaves the store. Sheldon breathes out a sigh of relief and wipes a bead of sweat off of his forehead. "Man, that was a rush. Those inklings sure are excited to have the Battle Tower back up and running."

Ika laughs, busy washing his hands from handling so many different paints for guns. "They sure are. No surprise there though. Turf Wars are the biggest sport in Inkopolis."

Sheldon chuckles alongside Ika. Then, the horseshoe crab gains a sly grin on his face. "You seemed to have quite the fan base, too. So many young girls, all excited to see you."

Ika blushes, laughing awkwardly. "I-It wasn't like that, you know. I-I just happen to be a good fighter, so they'd obviously want some help! Hehe…"

Sheldon raises an eyebrow, showing exactly what he thought of that, and Ika slumps down in defeat. The inkling flicks the water off of his hands, his expression one of awkward surprise. "I didn't think so many people would recognize me. It must've been tough, constantly warding them off."

The shop owner just chuckles warmly, shaking his head. "Not at all, Ika boy! I know how to deal with those pesky enough to keep babbling about some random interest of theirs. When you come from a large family of younger siblings, you learn how to deter all sorts of people."

Ika puts down the washcloth he was using and smiles at Sheldon. "Thanks anyway. And thanks again for letting me help out. I might actually come back again. This was quite pleasant."

Sheldon grins widely at that. "Of course, anytime! And I would certainly appreciate a helping hand in the shop!"

Ika grins as well, then waves goodbye to Sheldon and heads out to the streets. Ika looks out across the darkening plaza as he pulls his scarf closer. He breathes in the cool, night air, finding an odd refreshment in the chill. He breathes out and begins walking home.

Darkness is a strange thing. It can cause comfort, or it can cause fear. No matter what society believes, or what others say, darkness is never so black and white. However, good or evil, darkness can cause thoughts unwanted to surface.

Another similar feeling is loneliness. Loneliness can cause many thoughts to spring into your mind. Previously suppressed memories, images you thought you've forgotten. Some random, some with a deep personal connection. For one certain agent, being left alone meant much more than simple memories.

Ika's thoughts begin to drift, against his better judgment. He sees flashes, flashes of the fight with Octavio, his discussion with Octavius, and even that rainy mission he had with Callie and Marie. More and more flashes, some clear, some blurred to the point of obscurity, came into his mind.

The agent frowns, reviewing these memories like one would a show. He begins to analyze, expanding upon the memories. He wants to find something, he can feel it, but what must he find? First, a connection.

He continues his trek in the city, absent-minded, as he ponders. What connection did these memories have? More continued to show, constantly growing blurrier and blurrier, and he couldn't even tell what he was looking at anymore. Then, the final memory hits him with the force of a roller.

Ika's eyes widen, and he stops moving. He remembers his first mission, blood on his hands. A dead octoling lies in front of him, his partner angered over his comrade's death. Then, red. A maniacal laugh, screams of fear, and regret. So much regret.

The gears begin to turn, and then they click. All these memories, all these flashes, they were moments when Akuma took control. Every single one of them, replayed over and over, constantly repeating.

Ika grips his head, stumbling a bit, and stopping his walk. He shakes his head, trying desperately to rid himself of the memories. Then, in steps the center-point of all these flashes.

"_**Desperation. Guilt, regret, so much piling over another. A sad sight, if not understandable."**_

Ika grimaces, straightening out his torso, but not removing his hand from his face. "_What would you know about understanding this pain?! YOU cause the pain, not experience it!"_

"_**Do I not reach through that thick stubbornness yet? You and I are one and the same, and yet, you are the true master of this body. When will you learn that you cannot continue this meaningless charade of charisma and happiness until you embrace your past?"**_

Ika growls, standing taller and finally continuing his walk through the city. "_Embrace? EMBRACE?! I will NEVER embrace you! Never will I accept that something so MONSTROUS could EVER be me!"_

"_**And yet, your cousin has succeeded." **_

This stops Ika once more, eyes wide. It was a simple response, one that gave little weight when given to one so fixated on others. However, Marie's words, fresh in his mind, echo back to him. _No longer will I sit idle and let my past define me._

Ika clenches his teeth, a feeling of stubborn denial rising up. "_T-That isn't the same. She had to deal with something else entirely."_

"_**Is it really? She has faced her own inner demons, and she has triumphed with assistance. It is about time you face yours, and finally, become whole once more."**_

With that last statement, an oppressive feeling is lifted from Ika's mind, one he didn't notice until it is gone. Ika looks around, then continues on his path home, thoughts swirling in his mind, and none going away.

* * *

The next day comes, and Callie tells Ika in the morning to come to her room in the hospital. Wondering what could make his sister need him this early, Ika walks to the hospital as quickly as he could. Concern for his sister was an excellent barrier to the memories of last night.

He enters the hospital and quickly makes his way up to his sister's room, easily bypassing the security with their knowledge of his previous stay here. Once he arrives at his sister's room, he opens the door and looks inside.

There, he sees his sister sitting in bed, staring at the city beyond her window. Her ears perk up at the sound of his entrance, and she turns around. She smiles in delight at seeing Ika, which makes Ika give a small smile in return.

Ika closes the door as he speaks. "I came here as fast as I could when I got your message. What was so important you needed me this early?"

Callie smiles and says, "Big news, that's what!"

Ika chuckles, pulling a chair up to Callie's bed. "Oh, and what's that?"

Callie grins widely and shifts on her bed, pushing herself up some. Ika watches intently, but notices no flinch or grimace in Callie's expression. He relaxes and turns his focus back to Callie's words. "I am finally getting released soon. About four days, they said."

Ika grins widely when he hears that. "That's great! About time too, huh?"

Callie laughs and says "Yeah, you can say that again! I'm tired of sitting around all day!"

Then, Callie's smile turns much more melancholy. "However, that isn't all the news I have. You see, in a few months, I'm going to Jellyfish Island to run a movie shoot. It's supposed to be the next big thing!"

Ika wants to smile, but the sadness within Callie's expression prevents him from feeling anything but worry. "But that isn't all, is it? Your expression says it all."

His sister nods. "You're right. I just… I can't believe I am leaving Inkopolis without one of you guys. Even if only temporary, it'll still feel overwhelming. It's overwhelming just to think about it! I… I'm wondering if I can really do it…"

Ika blinks, then frowns, determination in his eyes. He grabs his sister's shoulder and turns her gaze towards him. The female inkling is startled but listens as her brother speaks. "Do not think that of yourself. You are an amazing inkling, one of the most famous ones out there! You were personally requested, and as such, they respect the talent and potential you have! You need to show everyone that you can be amazing any way you want, just like you showed me all those years ago!"

Callie stares at Ika's determined expression, finding the fire in his eyes. That very same fire he used to climb to the top of the league. The same fire Marie had long ago, and once again regained. The fire Amber has right now, trying to prove herself to her older peers. Callie frowns and nods, determination igniting within her own mind. "Right. I promise I'll do my best at this shooting."

Ika grins, leaning back from his sister. "That's what I like to hear. No fears. I know you'll do fine." Callie nods in agreement.

The two siblings soon branch off to other topics, ones much more lighthearted than Callie's initial fears. However, a feeling lingered in Ika's mind. He knew what it was, but one he wasn't willing to acknowledge.

Akuma views the memories Ika held and felt the repressed feeling of guilt and shame. He growls, suppressing himself once more and going dormant. "_**Hypocrite."**_


	20. Chapter 19

Chapter 19

Time passes quickly for the agency, and the city as a whole. The seasons change, Splatfests come and go, and soon, the Octarian's attempt at subverting control of the zapfish was long forgotten.

Callie was released from the hospital, her leg fully healed, and bounding around with more energy than usual. Marie and Cap'n return from their trip, Marie gaining a new sense of confidence in her abilities. Ika's encounters with Akuma become nonexistent after his talk with the demonic persona, and Amber continued her training vigilantly with the jet-black inkling by her side.

Now, only a month before Callie's departure to Jellyfish Island, the final Splatfest was upon the populace. This would be the last time a Splatfest is held within Inkopolis Plaza, and quite possibly the final time a Splatfest concert is held by the Squid Sisters.

A jingle rings out across the plaza from the multiple TV screens strewn about. The inklings below all look up in anticipation, a tinge of melancholy in the air. Ika watches with a soft smile, while Amber bounces on her feet in excitement at this Splatfest's size. Cap'n stands next to the young girl, a smile adorning his own face.

The Squid Sister logo pops up on the screens, then falls back, revealing Callie and Marie within their recording booth. Callie grins and yells, "Hello Inkopolis!" Marie smirks and says, "It's Inkopolis news time!"

Callie gives an exaggerated wink to the camera and pronounces, "But first, we have some special announcements!"

Marie nods, a hand on her hip. "The final Splatfest is upon us, and we have the best theme available to us."

Callie nods enthusiastically. "No holds barred, going all out! The final Splatfest will be one for the history books!"

Marie's smirk only grows as she leans into the camera slightly. "This theme isn't anything to be taken lightly either. Be prepared, because here it comes!"

The plaza goes silent as the screen shows a dramatic display of a curtain unveiling. Breaths are held, fists clenched, eyes filled with curiosity. The anticipation was palpable within the air. Ika crosses his arms, frowning in ponderment, while Amber could barely stay still. Cap'n narrows his eyes in suspicion.

Then, the curtain on screen is lifted, showing a picture of Callie and Marie. However, it was a picture split evenly, Callie on one side with a backdrop of pink, and Marie on the other, green covering her background. The picture goes back and reveals the grinning Marie and slightly shocked Callie.

Ika's eyes widen, and Amber stops bouncing. Cap'n scoffs, knowing easily what this meant. Ika frowns, his thoughts swirling in a whirlwind of potential dangers for the cousins. This could be a fallout for the Squid Sisters, and Ika was certain the news station knew this.

The plaza is in a similar state of shock, and Callie is barely able to cover her shock and proceed like normal. "Y-Yes! A rousing finale! A showdown of the two who started it all!"

Marie nods, her smirk shrinking to a normal smile. "Nothing better to end Splatfests off with than this. Will it be the over-excited Callie who wins, or will the charming and oh-so-better Marie come out on top?"

Callie's eye twitches, her smile strained. Ika's frown deepens and Amber watches in worry. No matter if the statements were for the show, something like that hurts. "G-Go and vote! The party begins tonight!"

And with that, the screens shut off. The plaza begins murmuring, some moving to the voting stations, some talking with excitement, and some even with concern. Amber cringes at the amount of voices after that shocking display and turns to leave, Cap'n following behind.

Ika turns and follows them out, weaving through the crowd with ease. He almost manages to avoid everyone when he feels a bump on his shoulder. He turns, an apology in mind, and sees the stranger. Black hoodie, red sweatpants, and a shadowed face. The figure turns his head, glancing at Ika, and Ika cringes, shuddering. Those eyes, they were blood red. Then, the figure disappears into the crowd. Ika glances around, and when he sees no sign of the stranger, he turns and runs after Amber and Cap'n.

* * *

Night descends and Callie stands in front of the Battle Tower, a look of nervous determination on her face. She was an S ranked inkling on all modes, and she was going to go out with a glorious final performance.

The pop star enters the tower and receives a very unexpected welcome from almost all the inklings. Callie pauses, then smiles brightly. She turns to the desk clerk and asks for a match. He simply smiles and nods.

At first, things seemed to be going well. Callie was filled with renewed energy and fought with great enthusiasm. She was also doing quite well! However, her team still lost the fight.

Undeterred, Callie continues onto another match. This one… it was quickly apparent that Callie's team was losing, and losing HARD. The enemy was extremely efficient, maybe a premade team, and were incredibly ruthless against Callie's team. Callie flinches every time a teammate dies, or a loud splat is heard somewhere across the map. She herself died a few times as well.

What made matters worse was the fact that her teammates kept blaming her for their loss and constantly bickering with each other. She didn't know why, it seemed unreasonable! And yet, for some reason, they thought it was HER fault! Maybe it was because she was famous? That was a dumb reason in her eyes, but the words still stung more than any ink could…

However, there was one ray of sunshine in that dark match. A mystery inkling off to the side, one wearing a black hoodie and red sweatpants. Callie couldn't see his face, but he could hear his cheers. "GO GET THEM CALLIE!" She smiled each time she heard it, and she would last just a little longer because of it. Still, it didn't help the stinging words that were louder than any one fan could produce.

Callie joins what she decides is her final match. She just couldn't take that kind of toxicity for long, no matter how many fans cheered, and she knew her performance would downgrade because of it. So, Callie enters the lobby, waiting for the others to arrive. Then, a familiar voice calls out.

"Oh, Callie! Didn't think you'd still be playing." Callie looks up and notices Marie walking in, a small smile on her face. Callie sighs and chuckles softly.

"Not for long. This is my last game."

Marie frowns, instantly feeling the worry coming from Callie. "What happened? You are never this down."

Callie grimaces, her mind flashing with all of her horrible thoughts. This ridiculous Splatfest theme, Marie's words during the announcement (they may have been staged, but still), her previous teammates, her growing, gnawing anxiety. She had all this and more, but not a single one managed to make its way to words. "A lot of things. I'm just ready to call it quits until the concert. Funny, then, that I get to face you this last time!"

Marie's eyes flicker across Callie's expression. Callie watches her cousin warily, wondering if Marie could possibly deduce what was actually wrong with her. Then, to her relief, Marie smiles and says, "Well, ok then. Let's just make this a good match." Callie smiles softly and nods in agreement.

The rest of the inklings begin showing up, all stopping for a moment when they notice that not just one, but BOTH of the Squid Sisters were in this match! Callie gives nervous greetings to her teammates, flashes of the previous matching echoing in her subconscious. Marie returns any greeting with a cool and distant smile.

Screens turn on and music flares as both teams are dispensed within Arowana Mall. Callie takes a deep breath as the timer counts down. She steels herself, roller at the ready. 3, 2, 1, GO!

Callie's team instantly takes off with Callie herself moving directly into the lower area in front of the spawn point. She takes it upon herself to get this area covered before moving on to the next area.

The pop star runs to the top of the ramp and jumps off, creating a trail of ink and falling inside. After deeming the place safe, Callie stands up again and begins painting around herself, moving slowly to the center.

A loud whirring sound is heard in front of her, and Callie's gaze snaps towards the center area. She notices one of the enemy inklings holding a Killer Wail, aiming it straight down the center of the arena.

Callie jumps over to the side just as a loud screech echoes through the map. Callie slides a bit on her ink, but she was safe from the immediate danger. She stands up, ready to get moving. She puts down her roller, and then she explodes into a mist of magenta ink.

A ghostly squid floats down to the respawn point, and Callie blinks in shock and confusion. She looks up and notices Marie smirking at her from a high vantage point, waving at her smugly. Callie huffs, then jumps back down, ready to get back into the fight.

At first, Callie tries to reach the center through the same path. However, when she was ready to move around the ramp in the area above, she finds a roller falling on top of her. Callie respawns and glances at Marie, who's trying and failing to stifle her giggles. Callie groans in defeat, and she tries a different plan of attack.

The magenta inkling begins moving to the left this time, going along a path that is only accessible from her respawn point. As she jumps down to the area that both teams have access to, she looks at the middle area. Her teammates and Marie's team were in an intense hit-and-run duel, neither team really gaining leeway. Bolstered by this fact, Callie continues along the upper area.

Callie reaches a wall and she can just barely see the center battle happening below here. She presses herself against the wall and sneaks forwards carefully, edging herself to the end of the platform. She peaks around the wall and sees Marie in her roost, focused on the battle below. Callie smirks, knowing this is her chance.

She pulls her head back, listening as Marie fires. She counts the time Marie would take to focus in the scope again, 1, 2, 3, pulling out a seeker in the process. She brings her hand out and she tosses the seeker bomb over the wall, landing behind where Marie should be. Callie hears a yelp of surprise, then an explosion.

Callie looks around the wall and sees Marie gone, magenta ink all across the visible part of the roost. A cheer rings out as she checks. "YEAH! NICE JOB CALLIE!" Callie grins and notices the same black hoodie from before. It was the same fan that cheered for her in that toxic match. Empowered by the cheers, Callie jumps over, roller at the ready, and walks into enemy territory.

"Next time, make sure your enemy is dead. Especially in their territory" Callie's eyes widen immensely and she turns around, only to see Marie with her charger raised and fully prepped. Along with that, her tentacles were glowing, ink trailing off of them and into the air. She had a special, and with it, the upper hand.

Marie frowns as she looks at Callie's surprised expression. "That should be a simple rule to follow Callie. Make sure your enemy is dead before proceeding. At the very least, proceed with caution!"

Callie's mouth opens and closes like a goldfish, stuttering as she tries to form words. "B-But… I… I…!"

Marie lowers her charger, but her glowing tentacles refrained Callie from attacking. "Come on Callie. I heard that fan, you know. As nice as it is to be cheered for, you need to move cautiously."

Marie walks closer and places a hand on Callie's shoulder. Marie's frown turns somber as she mutters, "I just want you to be safe Callie. Any training that's available, you should take it. I don't want to lose you, or anyone else ever again."

Callie doesn't respond, shocked by this sudden display of emotions, and the conflicting emotions inside her mind. Marie steps back and her eyes harden. "Now, as much as I like training on your side, consider this training against a skilled enemy. I do have to try and win for my team after all."

Marie's eyes narrow as she stares down Callie. Callie stares back, unable to decide what to do next. "However, if you keep making rookie mistakes Callie, I'll have no choice. You'll be in too much danger on the field. You might never be an agent ever again."

Something in Callie snaps. The shock on her face is fresh and renewed, a tinge of anger in the expression. Marie holds her charger up again and says, "Well, back to the game." She pulls the trigger, and Callie disappears.

The pop star respawns in her base, but her mind is muddled by the scourging words she heard from Marie. Not even the heartwarming concern Marie had was able to overcome the cold, brutally honest words Marie said next. You might never be an agent ever again. Those words, the threat that came with it, it was all just because Marie was worried about Callie. However, Callie's rage at the statement blocked all of the positive aspects of that conversation.

Callie grits her beak, her fists tightening around her roller to the point of showing white on her knuckles. She looks up at Marie, then growls lowly. "I'll show you who needs improving, Marie!"

She takes to the battle with a rage-filled boom of energy, taking down anyone in her way. However, rage only goes so far, and it is easily dominated by one who is calm and analytical. Marie splats Callie time and again, constantly keeping the magenta inkling from feeling any satisfaction. Her anger continues to grow, and even the fan from before can tell something is wrong.

The pop star continues to lose more and more of her ability to think on the fly as rage fills her mind. One phrase, one thing kept her going. "I need to be stronger. I need to be stronger. I need to be stronger!"

However, no matter how determined, no matter how much of a boost rage can give, Callie simply wasn't built for that kind of emotion. Callie is a kind inkling at heart, one who tries to look on the bright side of things, no matter how grim. Even then, she usually feels sad or distraught, not angry like she is now. With this sudden influx of a rarely-felt emotion, and one that kept building and building, Callie's mind can't take it anymore. Her mind snaps, and she finds herself unable to respond to anything. Callie's mind has broken down, and with it, any fight she had in her.

The battle ends, but Callie physically can't leave the battlefield. Judd notices this and tries to ease her into leaving, calming down Marie in the process, but the magenta pop star is in a daze, her mind picking up the broken pieces. With a sigh, Judd leaves the area to give the results and gives himself a mental note to keep people away from Arowana Mall for tonight.

Time passes, and Callie is able to regain enough of her sense of self to move to a more comfortable area than the respawn point. She is now sitting at the center area of the Arowana Mall arena, silently crying at her actions from before, the rage she felt laying on her psyche like a boulder, and the weight of the entire day falling upon her.

Night had begun to descend, and soon the Splatfest concert would begin. Callie didn't realize this though, her thoughts too focused on her failures to take notice of the things around her. This is what allowed a lone figure to sit down next to her.

Callie senses the figure before she sees them, but she only takes notice when the figure sits down right next to her. She jumps slightly in surprise, looking to her side. The figure was wearing a black hoodie, along with bright red sweatpants. They had the hood up, so Callie couldn't see his face clearly. The night sky made it nigh impossible to tell what they looked like.

The pop star blinks, then exclaims, "It's you! The fan that followed my matches today!"

The figure nods, not looking at Callie, but it was obvious he was giving her his attention. "I was. You fought well in the arena. Just as I'd expect from one of the Squid Sisters."

Callie blinks, then blushes at the praise. She chuckles awkwardly, but the thoughts that were temporarily forgotten resurface once more. The fan turns and notices Callie's distraught expression. "I saw how angry you were that last match. What happened? Why did you snap?"

Callie's eyes stare into nothing as she focuses on the various events that happened today. "So many reasons why. This Splatfest theme seems like it is trying to pit me and Marie against each other in a way that goes beyond friendly turf war matches. Then, there were those toxic teammates, my bad performances, my rage! Even Marie thought I needed to do better!"

The figure turns away, staring at the sky once more, humming in thought. "I'm gonna guess that Marie said something to you. Something she said made you mad, and as such, you let out your anger in the match."

Callie flinches, turning away and hiding her face from the figure. How can one fan read her so well? "Marie wasn't trying to be mean. She was simply giving me advice. Instead of listening, I lashed out at everything in anger. I'm such an idiot."

The fan turns completely, his red eyes focused on the inkling in worry. "Hey now, no need to say such bad things about yourself. It was one time, and most people will get pretty angry if someone points out their flaws, no matter who that person is. I definitely would be livid, even if it was a king!"

Callie chuckles softly, but still shakes her head. "I know, but it isn't just that. I shouldn't have needed those lessons anyways! I'm an S rank for crying out loud! However… I just don't think I am strong enough. I never have been, no matter what anyone says."

Her strange companion turns back slightly, but keeps his gaze on the pop star. "Well, I can't say much in terms of strength. However I can say this."

Callie glances over, noticing a flash of red in the figure's eyes, but nothing else. "Never giving in, always going beyond what you or others believe, that is the true road to success. Never forget this Callie, and you'll go far beyond what you believed you could."

Callie blinks in surprise, not expecting such kind words from this seemingly random stranger. Then, the figure stands up. He reaches into the pocket of his hoodie, pulling out a set of black sunglasses. "Here, a gift. It isn't much, but put this on if you feel like you need to remember my words. And if it means anything, I certainly think you are strong. Far stronger than you yourself know."

The pop star stares at the sunglasses, then gently takes them from the stranger. Callie stares at the lenses, noticing her clear reflection within, and the pristine condition the frame was made of. "I… I can't take this," Callie vacillated.

No response is returned, and Callie looks up. She sees nobody there, the stranger no longer present. Callie stands up, holding the sunglasses close, looking around for the kind fan. Then, she hears a ringing.

Callie yelps in surprise and looks around frantically, and then she feels the vibrations in her pocket. She looks down and pulls out her phone, noticing that it was Marie calling. Callie answers and says, "Hello?"

"Callie! Where are you?! The concert starts in 15 minutes!"

Callie's eyes widen and she looks at the time. Seeing that she, indeed, only has 15 minutes until the concert starts, she quickly states, "Ah! Alright! I'll be over there shortly!"

"Ok. Please, hurry up! I've been worried!"

Callie nods, muttering a small "Ok…", and then hanging up. Callie turns back to the direction of the Battle Tower, the area the concert will take place. She looks down at her new sunglasses, and she smiles. She puts them in her bag and super jumps away.

**-Author Notes- **

**Alright, it's been decided this chapter needed a bit of an update. It shouldn't feel too rushed anymore, and I have added more dialogue and description to help give the message I wanted to convey. Thanks to Plain Ol' Spectator for pointing this out to me! It really helped!**


	21. Chapter 20

**Chapter 20**

"You've improved quite a bit Amber!"

"Yeah, well, I'm still not as good as you are!"

The two agents laugh loudly as they walk out of the battle tower, another round finished. They both were battling while they could in the small intervals where Splatfest points didn't count. Ika and Amber didn't want to vote for one cousin or the other, so sadly, they skipped this Splatfest.

Amber grins widely, glancing up at her mentor. "I will say, that ingenious move to knock that splat bomb back with your own ink was amazing! The ink on the outside still killed, despite so much of the enemy's ink on the inside!"

Ika chuckles a bit, rubbing the back of his neck. "I guess it was pretty impressive. I still can't believe I pulled it off!"

"Also, how are you so good with an Inkstrike?! It's like you know exactly where they are going to move!"

Ika grins and says, "When you play as long as I have, you tend to find the most common patterns in people's movements."

Amber nods with a serious frown, almost as if that was sagely advice. The sight made Ika sweatdrop in exasperation. Amber then frowns deeper as her eyes snap open, a fire inside. "That one guy though, he was so good as well! It was amazing to see him play!"

Ika thinks back to the match, remembering the inkling. It was an older inkling, only a few inches shorter than Ika, with bright green hair slicked back. He had a scar on his cheek and a needle in his mouth, giving him a tough yet laid back look. His eyes conveyed boredom, but hid the inkling's true analysis of the battle field. Ika grins, thinking of that inkling's amazing performance with dualies. "I think he's the Number 2 fighter. Just below me in the league."

Amber's eyes widen and she snaps her gaze to Ika. "Really?! Wow!" She suddenly grins, a fist in front of her face. "Then one day I will best him! I will best him along with you, Ika, and become the Number 1 fighter in the league!"

Ika laughs loudly, ruffling the slightly taller, but still much-shorter-than-himself inkling. Amber huffs and looks down, a blush on her cheeks in embarrassment, as she smooths her tentacles out again.

The jet-black inkling looks up again, then frowns. He was having a good time, he really was, but one thing keeps bothering him. In all those previous matches, and any time he's seen Amber fight really, she has never used a special. He knows for a fact she is scared of them, due to what he's observed and the little Callie told him, but nothing else. What scared her so much about specials? He needed to know.

Ika looks to the sky and, almost casually, states, "So, why are you so scared of specials?" He glances over, noticing Amber's surprised expression, but doesn't reveal his gaze just yet.

"W-What do you mean?" Ika sighs, already feeling like this will be difficult.

"You never use a special. Not in the matches we just played, not before, and certainly not on the field. Why are you so averse to using specials?" Ika looks over once more, seeing her face scrunch up in apprehension and confliction. He could tell she was debating the issue and he could only hope she would open up.

A small sigh is heard next to him, making Ika look over in interest. Amber was looking down, and it seems she's decided on what to say. "I-I… it isn't easy to explain. Can we… move somewhere more private?" Ika nods instantly, which makes Amber breath a small sigh of relief. The two begin moving towards the location Ika had in mind for this conversation.

* * *

"Hey, are you sure you want to talk now? If it is this important, we can wait until after the Splatfest is over." Ika shuts the door to his apartment slowly, his head slightly turned towards Amber as he locks the door.

The young, orange inkling shakes her head as Ika turns around. "No, this is something I need to talk about. It's been weighing me down for the longest time. Ever since you revealed Akuma to me, I felt like I needed to do the same."

Ika turns to her as he sits down, tilting his head. "Hm? I caused a change?"

Amber nods. "I… didn't really show it, cause I was wondering how to open up. Then, you asked me about my fear, and I took the chance. So now, here we are."

The older inkling hums in thought, then smiles. "Well that really is a good way to start things off, isn't it?"

Amber nods, a small smile on her face. "I guess it is, huh?" She looks down to her hands, opening and closing them slowly, as the air turns somber and serious. "This isn't an easy thing for me to say, and I've only ever told Callie the situation before."

Ika tilts his head, but otherwise doesn't speak. This moment, Amber's moment, needed silence. Amber looks up, seeming to reminisce. "For as long as I can remember, I've been an orphan. The caretakers were kind, and the other kids were friendly. It should've been a good life. However, one thing created a wall that couldn't ever be broken down. My own ability, the ability to create specials on a whim, more powerful than you can ever imagine."

"This ability was ignored at first. I didn't even know what it could do! I just sort of played with ink supplies, making shapes and moving it around in the air. Then, one day, I got scared. One of the kids pulled a prank and spooked me while I was controlling the ink. It caused my power to go haywire. The ink fluctuated violently, then slammed into the kid. It must've been some sort of self-defense maneuver, but it doesn't matter. He got hurt, and I was scared because I did it."

"He ran off, crying the whole while, screaming about burns and 'scary Amber'. I ran after him, in part to apologize, and in part to try and explain I didn't know what happened. The caretakers found us both, the kid calmed down, but extremely wary of me. We explained what happened and the caretakers told me I couldn't mess with ink anymore. I thought that was the end of it. I should've known better."

Tears form in Amber's eyes, but her resolve doesn't break. "My powers only grew as I got older, slowly adapting to the specials that most inklings can make. That was dangerous though. My pure control of ink gave way to a much more destructive variant that can only harm people. The caretakers feared that any little thing would set me off and trigger the power, and frankly, I was too. Still am. So, they locked me up. Gave me a separate room to the orphanage, only came to give me food and drink, and left me to my own devices."

"I tried to control it at first, but after I blew a hole in the wall, I gave up. Then, one day, the Matron of the orphanage came by with a gift." Amber looks to Ika, her arm raised. She pulls down her sleeve, all the way to her shoulder. There, Ika notices a ring, gold in color, circling her arm right at the top of her biceps.

"It was a bracelet, a special one. It had some sort of special ink on it that keeps stress down. Since stress seemed to be the activation of the powers, it seemed like a good idea. It was, and I was able to lock down my powers with ease. However, extreme stress, like the time at Octavio's arena, can still cause my powers to fluctuate. The worst problem are the ink tanks here in Inkopolis though."

Amber looks down, rolling her sleeve back to normal, and continues speaking. "Turf wars were my only way of life. The only thing I knew was to fight. I HAD to do turf wars! However, I knew there would be risks with specials. That special ink, the one that let's inklings do specials, causes my powers to go out of control, easily breaking the ring's own power. I simply vowed to not get a special and keep away. Then, when you told me that first day that I had a special, I panicked. It's a miracle my powers didn't go off, but the simple thought of having a trigger in my hands made me more terrified than you could possibly imagine. From then on, I was very careful to never use my special in battle, lest I destroy more than I can handle."

Amber sighs, then wipes the tears from her eyes. She gives Ika a small smile and says, "There, that's it. There's a lot to go for this, but that's the story."

Ika frowns, sorting through the information in his head. Amber has a power that developed into specials, and it can activate on its own if she gets upset enough. It seems she doesn't believe she can control it.

Ika looks up and says, "So, you can't control your power on your own?" Amber nods. Ika then grins and exclaims, "Well, we'll just get it under control then!"

Amber blinks, then recoils in shock. "What?! No! No no no no! I am NOT trying to use my powers!"

Ika just stands up and replies, "And why not? This is a real risk, and risks can't simply be left alone. You need to learn how to control your powers."

Then, Ika raises his hand. He turns and grins as he forms ink around his hand into a ball, floating silently in the air. "And who else to help you than the one person who has mastered ink control?"

Amber blinks, staring at the ink bubble. It seems that she still didn't know the extent of Ika's powers. She saw what Akuma did against Octavio, but it wasn't anything like her own power. However, if Ika truly did master ink manipulation, then maybe he can actually help her.

Amber looks down, mouth forming a thin line, as she debates the situation. Should she stay quiet and refuse, trying her best to keep her powers a secret? Or should she try her luck with Ika, and maybe walk home safe from ever damaging others ever again?

Ika tilts his head as Amber looks up. He sees her fire-filled eyes and he grins. "I knew you'd answer with that. Come on, let's go somewhere safe." Amber nods, no words needed, as she follows Ika.

However, when the two inklings walk to a room off to the side of Ika's bedroom, she gets confused. "What? What are we doing here?"

Ika doesn't turn, seeming to investigate the room, but he does respond. "Ever wonder why I live in an apartment if I have so much money?"

Amber nods, watching as Ika seemed to find what he wanted. He grabs a small section of the wall and pulls. Amber's eyes widen as the section opens up, revealing a single kettle behind it. Ika grins widely and says "Here's my answer. A personal training area, entrance hidden in my own apartment, and secluded from the populace. No better place to go for high-risk training than here."

The younger inkling stares at her mentor in awe, the latter of which simply grins, then jumps into the kettle. Amber, blinks, then yells after him, jumping inside without a second thought. The door shuts behind them, masking the room once more.

The trip was short and Amber quickly found herself dispensed into an area that left her in awe. It was a massive, open-area dojo, mountains completely trapping the place in on all sides. Then, all around the dojo were bright, healthy Sakura trees, their blossoms falling and creating a rain of pink.

Amber notices Ika standing in the middle of the dojo, looking out at the beautiful landscape. Amber walks up to him, and Ika says, "Beautiful, isn't it?"

The young inkling nods, her gaze never straying in one place for long. "It is. It truly is. And you use this place to train?"

Ika nods, turning to his protege. "It helps keep my mind calm. Blocks out any… unwanted interference." Amber nods, knowing exactly what he meant by that.

Amber looks up and watches the petals fall, basking in the beauty of the place. Then Ika yells, "Alright! Let's get started, shall we?"

Amber is snapped out of her trace and turns to Ika. She frowns and walks over slowly. She looks up to Ika and mutters, "What do you want me to do?"

Ika walks away from here, then turns back to the young agent. He brings his hand out of his pocket and begins tossing a rock up and down. "I'm going to throw this rock at you. All I want you to do is make a Bubbler shield and block the blow. K?"

The young inkling watches the rock, then she looks down to her hands. Flashes of past events, scarred memories, pass through her mind. Scared faces, uneasy atmospheres, _destruction_.

Amber shakes her head, backing up slightly. "I-I can't! I can't do it! What if I destroy this place? What if I hurt you?! What if-"

"Hey, no what ifs, alright?" Amber jumps, startled, and looks to her side. Ika is standing there, a comforting smile on his face. "I know you have the ability to control your powers. You just have to believe in yourself, alright."

Amber stares, taking in the words that no one else has ever given her before. Amber's mouth closes, forms a thin line, and she nods. Ika grins and jumps back to his original position. He preps himself for a throw, yelling, "Ready?!"

The younger agent nods, limiter ring falling to the ground, hands out in front of her. Ika nods, then throws the rock right at Amber's body. Amber grits her teeth and closes her eyes, pulling from the wellspring of strength she could feel inside. "_Come on, bubbler, bubbler! Shield me, damn it! Work with me here!"_

Amber's form wavers, and then ink pours off of her body. The ink forms a shield around herself and the rock bounced off harmlessly. Amber looks up, blinking in shock, noticing the bubbler shield around herself.

Then, she grins widely. She cheers, jumping up and down, as Ika walks over, cheering with her. Then, Amber lurches, a pain in her stomach. She falls down, Ika right by her side, asking her what is wrong. She can't hear him though as a familiar and unwanted feeling bubbles up inside of her.

Amber's form wavers again, making Ika look at her in caution. Then, the ink coalesces into an Inkstrike missile. Ika's eyes widen in surprise as the missile fires, flying crazily through the air. Amber notices the missile fire off and ducks down, hoping to protect herself.

An explosion resonates throughout the area, breaking the peaceful calm that had been established in the grove. Amber shrieks, fully expecting to feel the burn of unstable ink. However, she feels nothing.

Amber opens her eyes, then looks up. She sees Ika, hunched over her form, gritting his teeth in pain. Amber's eyes widen in shock as Ika falls back, his face scrunched up in pain. "Oh no! Ika, no!"

Ika doesn't respond. He simply opens an eye and points to an area off to the side. Amber follows his directions and sees a cabinet with a large, red plus-sign on it. Amber's eyes widen and she runs over. Hopefully this is what she believes this is.

She quickly opens the cabinet, seeing all the various medical supplies. She looks around, wondering what to grab, when she notices a small box. Labelled "Ink Damage Only", she knew this is what she needed. She grabs the box and slams the cabinet shut, running back to Ika.

Amber kneels down next to Ika, opening the box. "Ok. Ok ok ok. What do I need to do?" Ika shakes his head, then grabs the box. He views the contents, then takes out a small vial. Red liquid swishes around inside and Ika quickly takes the stopped off and downs the whole thing in one go.

Ika takes a deep breath in, then releases it in obvious relief. "Oh man, that was a bit crazy." He looks up, noticing Amber's confused and worried expression. He smiles slightly and says, "A bit of my own concoction. I infused my own ink with the special healing powers of the Turf war respawners to make a rejuvenation serum. Heals me right back up, although at the cost of fatigue. Makes it too dangerous for field missions, but works like a charm when practicing dangerous moves here in the dojo."

The jet-black agent stands up, groaning the whole while. "Oh geez, it really took a lot out of me. Here, let's sit down."

Ika gestures for Amber to follow, the young inkling walking silently. Ika sits down on a bench under some shade, taking a sigh of relief at finding a resting spot. He looks up and notices Amber sitting down silently, a frown on her face. Ika frowns himself and says, "Hey, come on. No need to be gloomy Amber. We are here to train, so accidents are bound to happen."

Amber grits her teeth and rounds on her mentor. Ika is taken back by her tear-filled eyes and angry expression. "I know that, ok! But, I hurt you! I hurt you so badly you had to use special ink just to heal." Amber shakes her head, looking down the ground, her fists clenched. "I… I can't stand the possibility of hurting you again!"

Ika tilts his head, then narrows his eyes. He grabs Amber's shoulders, turning her so she was looking directly into his eyes. "Now listen here Amber. What happened to that fierce, unstoppable inkling from earlier? Where is the determined Amber I met so long ago? Never, NEVER, do I want to hear you say you'll give up, because that isn't who you are! Never give up, always keep going, right? You'll overtake me one day, but if you give up now, that day will never come! And fears, fears should be a mere obstacle! Leave them alone and nothing will change. Take action and nothing will stand in your way."

A small doubt, a small inkling of hypocrisy forms in Ika's mind, but he shoves it to the side violently. Not now. He instead watches Amber's face, one that was in shock. Then, the tears begin flowing. She instantly presses herself against Ika's chest, sobs emanating from her small form. Ika leans his head down, rubbing the top of her head gently. "Hey, no need to cry. I believe in you, alright. I'll always be there to help."

It felt like an eternity, but soon Amber's cries stopped. She leans back, sniffling a bit, as she wipes away the rest of her tears. "I-I'm sorry. I got your shirt wet."

Ika blinks, then laughs loudly, startling the young inkling. "That's your concern?! Wow, you really are something else!"

Amber blinks, confused, as Ika smiles. "Don't worry about that. What we need to focus on is getting your power under control, alright?"

Amber pauses, which makes Ika frown in concern. Then, the younger inkling stands. Her eyes are filled with determination, and Ika grins widely at seeing the Amber's he's known for so long. Amber nods and simply states, "Let's do this."

The older agent stands up, his energy regained after Amber's sudden outburst. The two of them walk over to the middle of the dojo, the ink dried up under the harsh heat of the sun. Amber stares at a target as Ika says, "Alright, same as before. I'll throw a rock at you, but this time, be ready to make an Inkstrike rocket and shoot it at the target." Amber nods, and that's all Ika needs to get into position.

Ika stands in front of the target, rock in hand, and he yells, "Ready?" Amber yells back, "Yes!", which makes Ika grin in joy. He brings his hand back, then chucks the rock towards the younger agent.

Amber frowns and does the same thing as before, hands placed in front of herself, and the bubbler forms. The rock bounces to the ground, but Amber doesn't move. She is ready for the pain and she grasps it tight.

Amber grits her teeth as she focuses on the Inkstrike rocket. The ink around her slowly begins condensing in front of her, a rocket taking shape. Amber continues to focus, sweat forming, obvious exertion appearing on her face. Then, with a yell of defiance, she pushes her hands forwards.

The rocket takes off, slamming straight into the target. Ika, one hand raised to block any stray ink drops, watches in amazement at the damage caused. The entire target was obliterated, ink covering the whole wall.

The younger agent pants, one eyes closed, as she looks at her handiwork. She doesn't move, preparing for another special. However, after a moment of nothing, she finally relaxes. Her hands drop and she takes full notice of what she did. Amber looks at her hands, then at the blast. Slowly, a wide smile forms. Then, she cheers. "Yes! Finally! I did it, and no flukes this time!"

Ika laughs loudly, walking back over there. Amber is seen standing, still trying to catch her breath, but obviously happy. Ika looks back to the blast and says, "Seems you only have enough energy for two specials. Although, who knows? Maybe you can improve your ability to form even more."

Amber shakes her head, replying with, "I think two are good for now, don't you think?" Ika grins and ruffles her hair, causing the younger inkling to squeak in embarrassment.

Ika smiles and says, "See, I told you. You can do anything, just as long as you believe you can." Amber nods, which makes Ika smile in satisfaction.

The two walk back to the bench to allow Amber to rest. He smiles, looking at the younger inkling next to him. "_Such power and determination for such a young inkling. And her bravery, outstanding. She conquered her fears, and now she can finally embrace that feared part of herself."_

Then, Ika frowns, looking up to the sky, as doubts form in his mind. Not for Amber, but for himself. "_But what does that say about me?"_


	22. Chapter 21

**Chapter 21**

Amber's practice became a routine for the two agents. Whenever she had time the young inkling would find Ika and pull him to the side for training. Ika never complained. He knew Amber wanted support for this task and he was willing to give it to her.

During the next few weeks, Amber's control shot up quite quickly. She could safely use two specials without any problems, and now she's trying to get a third special out. Ika himself also used the time to refine his own ink control. He could manipulate the ink as Akuma did against Octavio, creating a layer of ink over his fists and feet to increase his strength and speed.

However, that wasn't too important to Ika. What was important was the new-found confidence Amber seemed to have gained. She was glowing brightly with positivity, and her movements had new energy to them he's never seen before.

Ika smiles as he watches Amber manipulate her ink. Alongside specials, she's tried to regain her ability to control ink normally, similar to what Ika can do. She had a long way to go, but she was getting there.

The agent sighs in content. "_She's come so far so quickly. To think, she was scared of her powers only a month ago."_

"_**Unlike a certain someone I know." **_Ika's eye twitches in annoyance. This was also a common occurrence lately. It seemed like Akuma wanted Ika to pay attention to him. Whether the demon was bored or simply wanted to mess with Ika, the agent didn't know.

"_Shush. I'm trying to pay attention." _Ika hears Akuma scoff inside his mind. No other response was given though and the demon retreats back to wherever he rests.

Ika turns back to Amber and watches as she slowly raises a bit of ink off of the ground. She tries shaping it, letting it flow freely around her. However, the ink ball simply wavers a bit and doesn't move.

Amber groans as the ink falls to the ground again. "Why is this so difficult?! I did it before!"

Ika walks up to her and places a hand on the young inkling's shoulder. "Hey. You did this when you were a lot younger, remember? Besides, your power has adapted to specials and is probably having issues reverting back to what it once was."

The orange inkling looks up at him with a pout. "Should still be easier though…"

Ika simply laughs and exclaims, "Well, we all certainly wish that, don't we?" Amber grins and laughs as well.

The black-haired inkling grins widely and says, "Alright, I think that's enough for today! It's getting late." Amber turns and looks over at the mountains. She can barely see the sun behind the mountain top.

"Yeah, it is. Ok. Let's head back home." Amber stands up and walks with Ika to the kettle entrance. The two of them jump in and quickly make it back to Inkopolis.

After getting out of Ika's secret room, Ika bids Amber farewell. The young inkling waves and takes off down the hallway, eager to get some rest.

Ika shuts the door to his house, then sighs loudly. He walks over to his couch slowly, then falls onto it with the grace of a falling pig. He groans loudly, rubbing his eyes in a show of exhaustion.

"_**If you're so tired, go to sleep already. You are really bad about taking care of yourself."**_

Ika frowns deeply. "_Shush. I don't need life advice from a demon in my head."_ Once again, Ika hears no retort. Only the soft sound of Akuma retreating, something he's become accustomed to.

However, these retreats are far too quick to be normal. Normally Akuma does SOMETHING more, be it spouting nonsense about Ika being broken or simply aggravating the agent. For him to be going silent so soon… it did nothing but bring Ika worry.

So, the inkling is now blaming Akuma for this newfound exhaustion taking him over. It was infuriating that he could get this tired through simple, everyday actions, but the stress that something isn't right keeps bugging him.

Ika sighs and decides he isn't going to get better by laying on his couch moping. He stands up and walks to his room. He quickly strips himself to his t-shirt and shorts and climbs in bed. With a soft yawn, he quickly doses off, the exhaustion pulling him into a subconscious embrace.

* * *

A groan is heard throughout the woods. Ika grits his beak and cracks open an eye. "What… the hell? Why do I feel like my head just went through a blend… er…" Ika's statement trails off as he looks around.

Trees. Everywhere, nothing but trees. Ika glances up and sees the blue sky, just like normal. It seemed like a normal forest, which wouldn't be strange. Except for the fact that Ika was JUST in his BED a couple of seconds ago!

Ika stands up slowly and looks around. He takes a few careful steps, then pauses. He looks down and finds himself in his agent gear. However, no weapons were in sight. Ika frowns and concentrates on his ink.

After a few seconds, Ika frowns even deeper. Nothing. He tries again. Nothing. He opens his eyes and watches his hands this time. No ink. Nothing appears in his hands.

His hands drop to his side and he looks around again. "What the hell is going on. More importantly, where am I?"

The agent steps forwards, eager to figure out where he was. The crackling of grass beneath foot, the soft blow of the breeze, and the echoing sound of a running stream were all that met his ears.

Ika does nothing but look around, staring through the trees, trying desperately to find some sort of landmark. However, it felt like no matter how far he traveled, nothing changed. The trees were changing, yes, but the river never sounded closer.

Then, he hears soft giggling. Ika quickly turns around, body tensed for action. He looks around, his gaze darting between the trees to find the culprit of his paranoia.

Another giggle. Ika spins his body around again. This time he manages to catch sight of orange tentacles, right before they disappear behind a tree.

Ika stands up straighter, getting out of his alarmed stance. "Hey! I saw you! Come out please, I don't know where I am!"

He watches the tree, but no one comes out. He sighs, then walks over to the tree. His ears perked up for potential noises, he gets to the tree and looks around it. However, a soft gasp comes from his throat as he sees no one there.

More giggling comes from behind him. Ika turns around, his gaze quickly locking on to the source. A young girl standing in a clearing. Ika frowns. "That clearing wasn't there just a moment ago."

Then, Ika notices _who_ the girl is. With those long, blazing orange tentacles, alongside the piercing yellow eyes and bright smile, he knew just who that was.

Ika steps forwards slowly. "Amber? What are you doing here?"

Amber doesn't respond. She simply giggles again and turns away from Ika. Then, she begins running.

Ika is taken by surprise by this sudden action. He blinks, then frowns. "Hey! Wait!" He begins running, shouting at Amber the whole while.

Trees begin to blur past him as Ika picks up speed. The exhilaration of running free, watching the landscape slide by as if it was a film set to fast forward, it was something Ika loved dearly. However, he rarely gets to do it, not when he is confined to the tight streets of Octarian cities. That's why he loved his mission with Callie and Amber against the Octo Shower. That was the most freedom he's had in a long while.

The speed Ika was moving at would've rivaled most cars. His strength and endurance were unnaturally high for most inklings, even with their malleable and sturdy bodies. However, even with these facts, he just didn't seem to be catching up with Amber at all.

This made Ika confused. How is Amber keeping up with him? She isn't this fast normally, even with her newly controlled powers. What's going on here?

"AMBER! Wait for me!" Ika's call falls on deaf ears as Amber continues to run through the forest. Ika runs as fast as he can after the young inkling, but he just couldn't catch up with her. No matter what he did, Amber was always just ahead of him, almost out of sight with the trees surrounding them.

Another set of footsteps registers in Ika's mind and he looks to the side. His eyes widen when he sees Callie running alongside him, lines of trees separating them. "C-Callie?! How did you get here?!"

Callie doesn't respond and keeps running. Then, to Ika's amazement, she disappears. Right as Callie's form is blocked by a passing tree, she vanishes. Ika's eyes widen in surprise and he looks around, wondering where his sister could've gone.

Then, he looks forward. Callie is running alongside Amber, both at the exact same distance away from him. Ika blinks in surprise, wondering how that was even possible.

However, Ika isn't given long to think about it. He sees a light in front of him. Somewhere different, somewhere he can finally recognize. A surge of energy hits his body and he runs faster. He finally begins to catch up to Callie and Amber.

Ika reaches out his hand, trying to catch at least one of the two. He tries to grab Callie's hoodie, but he just barely falls short. The light was approaching fast, but he didn't notice. He keeps gaining on Callie and Amber. Then, he gets it. He's close enough to grab them and stop them. His hand falls, ready to catch the two inklings.

His hands meet nothing. Ika stumbles to a stop, his gaze darting around. Where did they go? They were just in front of him, right? Did he imagine the whole thing? And how did they run so fast?

"**You won't find them. Not here anyway." **The voice Ika hears makes his blood run cold. He slowly turns, his gaze locking on to the source of the voice. His eyes widen in shock.

A replica of himself. His clone is sitting there, slowly carving away at a rock, sharpening it slowly. However, once the clone looks up, his fears are confirmed. Blood red eyes, black surrounding them like shadows. **"About time you showed up. We have some talking to do."**

Ika backs up, shocked beyond belief. "W-Wha? How?! How are you here if I am here as well?!"

Akuma glances up again, then turns back to his rock. "**Simple. This is your mind, a place of your inner thoughts and emotions."**

Ika blinks. "What? My mind?" Akuma nods silently, continuing to focus on the rock. Ika looks around, wondering if this was true.

However, as he continues to look, he notices something odd. Sakura trees surrounded the place and the area he and Akuma stood on was covered in concrete. Targets and other various training equipment were around them, along with a small building in the back. A lone kettle was sitting to the side.

Ika looks around once more. "This is…"

"**Yep. Your training grounds. Believe me yet?" **Ika looks back and sees the same forest he exited from. A forest that he knew wasn't near his training grounds.

"I hate to admit it, but yes, I do believe you. Too much just doesn't line up for this to be real." Ika turns as he hears a sharp noise. He sees Akuma rise, the noise coming from him tossing the sharpening stone behind him.

"**Good. Now we can start."** Ika looks back to Akuma, the demon simply staring at him blankly. Ika frowns, waiting for Akuma to do something. However, the demon doesn't move. In fact, he frowns slightly, as if annoyed.

"**Are you just gonna stare, or are you going to ask?" **Ika blinks, taken back by the sudden question. "Ask?"

Akuma rolls his eyes. "**Yes, ask. You're wondering 'Why isn't the demon attacking me'. I can tell."**

Ika frowns. "Well, if you insist. Why are you acting this way? Where's the bloodlust and your insane delusions?"

Once again, Akuma rolls his eyes. "**You'd think by now you would figure out that I am more than a simple-minded demon. I'm a part of you. I will always hold more than just bloodlust and insanity."**

Ika grits his beak. "You are _not_ part of me. You never have and you never will." Akuma doesn't respond, simply leveling him with a look that tells Ika exactly what he thought of that statement. Then, the demon begins to walk away. "**Follow me."**

Ika isn't left much of a choice as he sees Akuma begin to enter the forest. Ika looks around, but deciding not to risk his chances in that seemingly-endless forest, he runs after Akuma.

The two fall into a slow walk, Ika upright and alert, Akuma relaxed and blank. Ika looks around, watching as the trees pass. The sun shined through the trees, but Ika couldn't see the sun no matter how hard he tried.

"**What did you see?"** Ika blinks and turns to his counterpart. Akuma looks up, notices the confusion, and repeats, "**In the forest. What did you see?"**

Ika frowns, then turns away. "I saw Amber and Callie." Akuma hums in thought, which makes Ika pause. It was one thing to know that Akuma seemed reserved for once. However, to hear Akuma sound _thoughtful_… it was just strange.

"**So, your guides decided to help you out."** Ika turns to Akuma, confused. "My… guides?"

Akuma nods. "**Guides are something every brain has. Be it a person, an object, or even an idea, something in your life is making you progress farther than you could normally. In this case, Amber and Callie seem to be your purpose in life. Protect them, help them, love them, doesn't matter. What matters is that you see them as your guides in life. As such, they are your actual guides in your mindscape."**

Ika frowns. "I… guess that makes sense?"

Akuma shakes his head. "**It should. This is **_**your**_ _**mind**_ **after all. I'd hope you'd understand your own mind."** Ika frowns deeper as Akuma flashes him a cheeky, fang-filled smirk.

The demon looks up and smiles slightly. "**Ah. Here we are. Finally, we can begin our talk."**

Ika looks forward and notices more light. The light must be some sort of entrance out of the forest because it was present when he entered the training grounds as well. Ika and Akuma walk into the light, Ika wondering what awaits him on the other side.

The agent squints, his arm shielding his eyes from the sun. He lowers his arms, his eyes adjusted to the light, then pauses. His eyes go wide and his mouth widens in shock. Soft sounds of disbelief come from his throat, all accenting his worry and surprise.

Akuma strides forwards, his path taking him straight to a house in a small clearing. The demon pauses, then turns back to Ika. The agent is standing there, frozen, and unable to move. Akuma frowns in annoyance. "**Hey. Stop gawking and let's get moving."**

Ika doesn't respond, his eyes darting around the place in a panic. Akuma groans in frustration and walks over to Ika. With a blank expression, Akuma rams his fist into Ika's stomach.

The agent keels over in pain, taken by surprise from the unexpected maneuver. "W-What… the hell… was that for?" Ika groans again and grips his stomach tighter.

Akuma kneels down and lifts Ika's head up. "**Stop moping. It's about time you faced the past you ran away from."**

Ika doesn't respond, simply staring at the demon with pained eyes. Akuma drops Ika's head and stands up. He begins walking to the house once more. "**Besides. What better place for this discussion to happen than your old home in Calamari County?"**

The agent slowly stands, rubbing his sore stomach gingerly in the process. He looks around, taking in the trees that he remembered so vividly. His old house, the same one he and Callie used to live in with their parents. That was until the wolves attacked.

Ika walks forward slowly, his eyes drifting along the trees. He turns and looks at the trees behind him. He flinches violently when the image of his father appears right before his eyes, his eyes cold and dead. Stones in a lifeless body.

Ika shakes his head and runs after Akuma, who was waiting for him at the back door of the house. Once Ika gets close enough, Akuma opens the door and steps inside. Ika runs after him, the door shutting as he enters.

Akuma enters the dining room and sits on a chair. Ika slowly sits on a chair across from the demon. Akuma stares at Ika with serious eyes, and for just a moment, Ika sees something other than disinterest or annoyance in his eyes. A strong look of determination.

Akuma folds his hands and says, "**Alright. Let's begin." **Akuma looks up and frowns slightly. Ika blinks, then turns around. His eyes widen when he sees an apparition of his father exiting the house. Then, to his amazement, two small inklings follow. It didn't take much time to realize they were himself and Callie.

Ika stands up out of his chair and runs outside. He watches as the two little inklings go into the forest to gather firewood, the father right behind them.

"_Stay safe dears! Ok?"_ Ika's eyes widen and he spins around. He sees his mother appear next time him, transparent and not fully there like the other three.

Ika's eyes begin to water as he reaches out for his mother's form. "M-Mom. Y-Your here…" His hands pass through as if nothing was even there. Ika tries again, more desperately, to hold his mother.

Nothing. Ika's eyes close tight as he cries silently. "No. Please, don't torture me like this."

Akuma walks up to him, his face bearing the slightest trace of empathy. "**This is necessary to heal you Ika. You must learn to move on."** As Akuma says this, he gestures to the clearing once more.

Ika looks over and notices the apparitions were back. They had a campfire going with salmon roasting over the flame. This last fact makes Ika pause in horrid suspicion.

Then, a low growl resonates throughout the area. Ika's eyes widen immensely in shock and fear. His gaze turns to the forest and he sees them. Three wolves, all crouched low, foam dripping from their mouth. Their eyes are wide and crazed, bloodlust radiating off of them in waves.

Ika doesn't even give time to think about the situation. He instantly runs forward and yells, "WOLVES! RUN!" However, the apparitions don't move, don't even react to his calls. Then, the father notices the wolves.

Eyes wide with panic, the father yells at the children to run inside. Ika's younger self grabs Callie and runs while his father turns and fights the wolves. The present Ika yells and runs to his father's aid. He tries desperately to hit the wolves, claw at them, kick them, do _something_, but everything just passes through them. However, his father wasn't the same way. Every claw gorges his flesh, every fang pierces deeply, and his grunts of agony were all too real to Ika's ears.

"**You can't help them. This is something that has already happened, a meer image of the past."** Ika pants heavily in pent up sadness and emotion. Then, his fists begin to shake in a new feeling. Rage.

He turns to his counterpart, his eyes narrowed and beak clenched. "_YOU."_ Ika roars and launches himself at Akuma. Akuma doesn't react, doesn't even try to dodge, and the two are knocked to the ground by Ika's momentum.

Ika sets himself on top of Akuma and begins punching the demon's face repeatedly. "WHY?!" Another punch hits Akuma's jaw. "WHY ARE YOU SHOWING ME THIS?!" A punch lands squarely on Akuma's nose. "WHY. DO. YOU. TORTURE. ME. SO?!" Every word was accented with a punch, a blow heightened by pure fury, grief, and all of the pent up anger Ika's felt ever since that day his parents died.

Ika brings both hands up and clenches them tightly. "LEAVE ME ALONE!" He brings his hands down, but it barely even makes an impact. Ika sobs loudly, his rage rushing out of his body in torrents. All that remained was the anguish and despair as the dam within his eyes burst open, tears flowing freely.

Akuma slowly stands up, seemingly unaffected by the blows he just received. "**It is saddening, yes, but it is something you must come to terms with. You can't cling to the past. You need to let it go Ika."**

Ika looks up at Akuma and notices the demon's gaze looking towards the clearing. Ika turns, tears still flowing, and looks at the scene. His father is dead, his younger self sobbing over top of his form. The wolves are all dead or missing, and his mother's bloody sword lays silently on the grass near the trees.

Ika stands up slowly, his gaze never straying from his father's dead form. He walks over, his stride slow and solemn. Eventually, he reaches his younger self and his dead father. Ika stares at his father's dead eyes, those cold stones, silently.

Then, he crumples. Ika falls onto his knees and stares at his father's dead body. He didn't feel anything, just a blank sadness. What is this? Shouldn't he feel more grief?

A warm hand rests on his shoulder. "**It is not pretty, but do not fret. Your father may be gone, but he watches proudly as his son becomes such a great man."**

A soft light begins to shine near the forest edge. Ika looks up, his eyes glazed. Then, they clear up slightly at the sight before him. Still pictures of his life. All of them were the various achievements he's had. Becoming the top fighter, becoming an agent, stopping Octavio. Helping Amber with her fears, helping Callie and Marie become singers. Taking care of Callie…

"**Not only that, but you have others as well. Others who care for you and wish nothing but the best for you Ika. When you despair, they despair that they cannot save you, that they cannot shoulder your burden."**

The pictures fade away and are replaced with various people, each one shining brightly. Cap'n, Sheldon, Marie, even some fans and family. Two shone the brightest, right in the center. Callie and Amber, his inspirations, his reason for living on.

"**Do not despair that your father is gone Ika. He would not have wanted this. Instead, look forward and grab hold of what you have, what you have worked so hard for."**

Ika's eyes widen, his eyes clearing up. Each person he cared for, his achievements, they were all neglected in his grief. How could he have done this?"

"I-Ika…" Ika looks down and watches in shock as his father's apparition begins to move. His father smiles and looks up at Ika. His body may be injured, but his eyes were full of life.

"You p-protected her Ika. I'm so proud of you." Ika blinks, uncertain about how to respond. Then, he smiles. The tears come back full force as he leans down and hugs his father. The apparition smiles as well and rubs Ika's back slowly. Akuma watches from above, his face holding the slightest bit of relief.

Ika isn't sure how much time passes, but eventually, he realizes that his father's form is gone. He sits back up and looks to the trees. Nothing was there. However, the imprint of those bright figures stayed in his mind, something he would never forget.

Akuma looks down at Ika and says, "**So. Have you finally learned?"** Ika stands up, still gazing at the trees. Then, he nods.

"Yes. I can't let my grief control me. I need to take hold of the future and give it my all, no matter what happens." Akuma smiles slightly. "**Nice to see you are finally understanding."**

Ika doesn't respond at first. Then, he slowly turns around. A small smile is on his face. "Well, I couldn't have done it without you."

Akuma blinks in surprise. Ika grins and says, "Yes, I'm telling the truth. You are the one who helped me."

Akuma frowns slightly. Then he sighs, a small smile working its way onto his face. "**Well, this is unexpected. I wasn't expecting to get included in this."**

Ika turns around completely and gazes into Akuma's eyes. "I understand now. Despite your actions, despite all the horrible things you've done, you tried nothing more than to help me overcome my grief. You just didn't know how and did the only thing that made sense. You are made of only negative emotions after all."

Akuma smirks, and right before Ika's very eyes, he begins to change. "**Not anymore. You've finally accepted your past, and myself. While I wish I didn't have to remain, I can't fully merge with you. I have too much sentience to fully disappear. However, I'll always remain in your mind, ready to give you guidance if needed."**

As Akuma speaks, his body changes. The black of his sclera melts away, revealing the normal white beneath. The fangs that line his mouth turn back into a normal inkling beak. His hair shortens and drapes loosely over his shoulder on both sides. Finally, his hair color changes from black and red to black and gold. A soft golden glow illuminates his form.

Akuma sighs, looking down at his shorter tentacles. "Odd, but not unpleasant. It seems I am no longer the Blood Wraith. Gold adorns my form now, and I will be your guide."

Ika grins widely. Then, he looks around. "So. How do I leave? I don't think I have any other reason to stay."

Akuma smiles and says, "Oh, that's already begun." Ika frowns in confusion, then feels a strange tingling across his body. He looks down and sees his body slowly disappearing.

Ika looks back up to Akuma, his body relaxed. Akuma smiles a little wider. "Well, I am glad my mission was a success. Now, your journey is far from over Ika Cuttlefish. I hope you continue to make everyone proud."

With that final statement, Ika feels his body leave the mindscape completely. A rush of wind hits his ears, then silence. Ika slowly opens his eyes, suddenly feeling much more exhausted. He blinks a bit, then looks around.

He is back in his apartment. The sun was just beginning to rise and the city was right outside. Ika looks over to his clock and notices that it says 6 o'clock. The date showed that today was the day Callie is leaving for Jellyfish Island.

Ika sighs and slowly gets out of bed. He begins to get ready, knowing that he has to be at the airport by 7 in order to see Callie off. However, all throughout these mundane actions, he has a smile on his face.

A weight was finally lifted from Ika's shoulder. Grief no longer rules him, and rage no longer consumes him. Akuma is finally accepted and Ika's past is at rest.

The Blood Wraith is no more.


	23. Chapter 22

**Chapter 22**

While big changes were happening for one agent, another agent found herself unable to sleep at all. Callie shifts around in her bed, unable to doze off. Tomorrow she would be going to the airport and she is extremely nervous.

Callie groans in frustration and gets out of bed. She grabs her shades absentmindedly, a powerful tool for helping her stay calm these past few days. Despite this, and despite herself being unable to stay up for long most nights, this time she just couldn't sleep. Her nerves are just too shot for her to rest.

The magenta inkling moves down the hallway to the living room. If she can't sleep, she might as well have something to do, right? Callie steps around the corner of her house and looks into the living room. Her eyes widen slightly when she sees Marie still sitting there, TV off but book in hand.

Marie's ear twitches at the sound of slight creaking. She turns around and notices Callie walking into the living room slowly. Obviously she is lost in thought, but not enough to stop paying attention to her surroundings, evident by the way Callie is steering clear of Marie.

Marie smirks slightly and says, "Callie! I didn't think you could be up this late!" Callie chuckles a bit, but otherwise she stays silent as she sits down on the opposite couch, shades spinning in her hands.

A frown works its way onto Marie's face. Callie is never this quiet, not unless something is _really_ bothering her. Marie shifts slightly as she leans forward. "Callie. What's wrong?"

Callie looks up, her eyelids heavy and lines of stress in her expression. A small, pitiful smile forms. "Is it that obvious?" Marie nods.

The younger cousin sighs. She looks up, out of the window, and stares at the night sky. "I… I'm just worried. About tomorrow. Can I really do this alone?"

Marie sighs, which causes Callie to look at her with a glare. Marie smirks, her eyes half-lidded, as if this isn't a big deal. "Come on Callie. We keep telling you time and again. You will be fine. You are Callie of the Squid Sisters, the biggest duo in Inkopolis!"

Callie shifts a bit, looking down at the ground this time. "But that's the thing. The Squid Sisters are a duo! I… I've never really done anything without you Marie!"

Marie leans forward a bit, pulling in Callie's attention. With a warm smile, Marie says, "Callie. We may be a duo, but we also have our own talents. Your quirky, fun-loving personality, along with all that energy. It perfectly balances my own sarcastic jokes and bored demeanor. If it wasn't for you, we'd never be here. So please, don't doubt yourself. You can do great things if you just believe in yourself."

Callie stares for a bit longer. Then, she sighs. A small smile finds itself on Callie's face. "Thanks Marie. I… guess that's true."

Callie stands and gives Marie a wider smile, her eyes closed. "Alright! I think I'm better now. Thanks Marie!"

Marie smiles and waves Callie off as her younger cousin begins to leave the room. Then, Marie says, "Oh! Callie!" Callie turns to her, curiosity in her eyes. Marie then continues. "What are the shades for?"

Callie looks down at her hands in surprise, as if not realizing she had the shades in the first place. "When did I...? Ah, well, they're from a fan. He gave them to me during the final Splatfest."

Marie looks at the shades and nods. "A gift then. Must've been a nice fan."

Callie smiles and says, "Oh he was. He helped me when I felt so depressed. He gave me these shades as a gift and told me to wear them if I ever need strength."

Marie grins and retorts, "I think you're too strong to ever need them Callie."

Callie smiles solemnly and quietly says, "Thanks Marie, but I'll keep them close. They're special."

Marie nods and Callie leaves the room. Marie turns around with a frown, her gaze drifting out the window and up to the night sky. "_Just what is happening with you Callie? You're so down. I wish I could help."_

The stars begin to disappear behind clouds, the night sky losing its bright sparkle. "_And if I can't figure out how, then what does that mean for you?"_

* * *

Daylight strikes the buildings of Inkopolis hard. People move up and about, half-asleep as the light pours into their eyes, preventing them from sleeping. Some welcomed this bright day, finding it to be a good omen for things to come.

Callie didn't think the sunlight helped her situation any. Worry gnaws at her gut like a rabid dog, unrelenting in its assault on her psyche. Of course, she doesn't have much of a choice on this trip. She _needs_ to do this. It would really help her and Marie to have more job opportunities. The news station always wants something fresh, so she can't expect them to keep the Squid Sisters for much longer.

The magenta inkling pulls into the airport parking lot. She steps out and looks around, her bag slung over her shoulder. Finding what she is looking for, Callie grabs her suitcase from the back of her car and begins walking to the airport entrance.

Callie managed to get all the way to the boarding gate by the time she heard her name called. "Callie!" And it certainly wasn't from a flight attendant.

Callie grins and turns around. She sees Amber running at her full speed, Cap'n following slowly behind. Amber plows into the older inkling, which causes Callie to laugh in delight. "And hello to you too Amber!"

Amber steps back and grins widely at Callie. "I'm glad I got here in time. I was worried I'd miss you leaving!" Callie chuckles and ruffles Amber's hair, which causes the young inkling to squeak with embarrassment.

Then, another two inklings make themselves known. "Glad we caught up with you Callie." Callie smiles as she sees Ika and Marie walk up to her. They stop next to Cap'n, both on either side of their gramps.

Marie smiles and wraps Callie in a hug. Callie reciprocates the gesture eagerly. Marie chuckles and says, "Well, this is amazing." Marie leans back and puts her hands on her hips. "You really are becoming a big shot, aren't you."

Callie chuckles, a blush on her face. "Well, I wouldn't put it like that. I'm just being called for a movie shoot!"

Marie grins widely and retorts, "And how often do inklings get that chance. Be proud of yourself Callie! You're going to go far."

Callie smiles sweetly as Ika steps forwards. He also hugs Callie, which his sister returns. Then, without parting, Ika whispers, "Hey. I'll be cheering for you, ok?"

Callie's hug tightens as tears spring up in her eyes. "I don't want to go, but I need to. I'm so nervous."

Ika leans back and places his hands on Callie's shoulders. With a warm smile he says, "Callie, believe in yourself. If someone like me could overcome their fears, then I know for a _fact_ that you can too."

Callie blinks, her tears falling away as she processes that information. "Fears?" Then it hits her. "Wait! Akuma?! Did you really beat him?!"

Ika looks down, a small smile on his face. "Not really beat. Just… finally accepted what I was doing wrong. Turns out Akuma wanted nothing more than to heal me. I just finally figured that out."

Callie stares at Ika for a bit. Then, a smile finds its way on her face. Eyes closed with delight, Callie exclaims, "That's great! I'm certain things will be better now."

Ika nods, if a little stiffly. That smile feels off… "Yeah. But enough about me. I think it's time for you to go."

As if to emphasize his point, the airport speakers blare out that Callie's flight is ready for boarding. Callie nods and looks at her family. With a big smile she turns and waves at them in goodbye. "Thank you! I'll see you all in a couple months!"

Everyone cheers for her, something that removes some of the anxiety in Callie's stomach. One cheer is heard so much louder than the others. Ika's exclamation of, "Don't worry Callie! We all believe in you!"

Callie smiles, her eyes set toward the future. "_I won't fail. I'll keep on going and hold you all close to me! I swear I won't let you guys down."_

* * *

The welcoming party into Jellyfish island is much more chaotic than the Inkopolis airport. Callie smiles nervously and waves as she pushes through hundreds of fans, all wanting something from her.

Cheers echo throughout the area as security tries to push the rowdy fans to the side so cars can come and go. It takes a long time, a _very long time_ before the fans disperse, content with seeing Callie.

Callie bows to a security officer with a remorseful frown. "I'm sorry about that. I didn't think so many people would know about my trip here."

The office, a young inkling around Marie's age, simply sighs. "Yeah, well, it's been advertised for the longest time. We were packed well before you came."

Callie looks down, obvious regret in her eyes. The officer looks at her, notices the look, and grins. "Hey, no need to be down. It's not your fault those fans can't keep themselves in check."

The pop star nods. She looks up and mutters, "Thank you for your help."

The office grins wider and says, "No problem Ms. Callie. And good luck on the movie shoot!" Callie nods and walks away, eager to get out of the suffocating confines of the airport.

Soon, Callie finds herself on the main street. She looks around, taking in all the beautiful sights. Small _ooh_'s and _ahh_'s come from her mouth as she turns around rapidly, soaking in so much more than she should.

Buildings all around her. Not as towering as Inkopolis, but with so much strange structuring to them. The buildings seemed to twist and wrap around each other, creating a maze of streets and intersections that seemed beautiful to watch. Jellyfish island brought a sense of chaos to Callie, but it seemed so set and ordered that she just couldn't help but feel in awe at the system.

Callie continues down the road, looking around and viewing different shops and potential stops. She doesn't need to go for filming until tomorrow and the hotel isn't expecting her for another hour.

The magenta inkling views a mall across the street from her, massive glass windows up front displaying the clothing inside. Then, she pauses. She can see the reflection of something dark behind her. Something sinister.

Callie's gaze snaps around and looks behind her. There's nothing but an alley next to her. No people, no creatures, no octolings. Callie frowns, unable to shake the feeling that _something _is _wrong_. So, she begins moving away.

A hand grabs her, so suddenly she has no time to react. Callie isn't even able to yelp as another hand covers her mouth. Before she knows it, she's in the alley she was just watching.

Suddenly, Callie feels a hand sneaking under her shirt. Callie's eyes widen in fear as a blush lines her face. She wiggles and tries to escape, but the hand on her mouth presses even harder.

"Hey now, no need to be scared. I just want to have some fun with ya'." Callie can feel the hand, rough and coarse, trace along her waistline. Her eyes can't see anything just yet, but blurry figures are finally coming into focus.

"Well now! This one is quite the looker, 'ey boys? Quite the thin waistline. And her hips flare out quite nicely." As if to emphasize, the hand traces down her flesh and rubs the top of her hips. Callie wiggles some more, feeling the hand loosen.

Another voice pitches in. "Yeah. And she's quite big up top too." That's the final straw. Callie pushes with all her might and squirms free. She breathes in deeply as she stumbles farther into the alley, away from those disgusting gangsters.

Callie starts running. She doesn't think, doesn't care where she ends up. All she knows is that she needs to _run_. The darkness swarms around her, reaching, _pulling_, trying to bring her back to those filthy hands and horrid words.

Then, she trips. A startled yelp comes from Callie's mouth as she loses her balance. She groans and begins to pick herself up when a kick lands on her side. She chokes at the sudden pain and finds herself thrown farther down the alley.

Callie looks up, hand pressed against her side, and sees three inklings. Each of them is big, ugly, and brutish. Tattoos lined their bodies along with earrings, studs, and other fancy valuables. The torn clothing and patchwork repair jobs tells her all she needs to know. These are criminals.

The middle inkling, presumably the leader, sneers at her. "What do ya' think yer doin', tryin' to run from me?"

The side one, a scrawny inkling with a gun strapped to his side, nudges the middle one. "Hey, boss? I think that's Callie, the one that was said to be arriving today."

The boss looks at his buddy and mutters, "Really?" The inkling nods. Suddenly, a massive, wicked grin forms on his face. He leers at Callie as he proclaims, "Well now, how lucky for us! A celebrity like Callie of the Squid Sisters is bound to have some good cash! The hot body is a bonus for sure."

Callie scoots back some, her hand brushing against her bag. She grips it tightly as she gazes at the gangsters in fear. "_No! I can't let this happen to me! I'm an agent damn it, and I need to fight for myself!"_

Callie tries to stand up, but another burst of pain erupts from her side. She cries out as the boss once again sneers at her. "What did I say about tryin' to run? Did ya' not learn yer lesson missy?"

The magenta inkling can feel tears welling up in her eyes. "_I can't. I'm not strong enough. Ika, Marie! Help me! Please!"_

Another kick lands on her chest this time, the air rushing out of her. The third inkling, big and bulky, obviously the muscle of the group, just kicked her right in the sternum. Callie gasps and coughs violently. She knew that any more blows would cause her to bleed, and she needs to find a way out.

Callie closes her eyes tight as the gangsters talk. "_I'm not strong enough. I can't find peace like Marie did. I can't overcome my fears like Amber did. I can't fight my inner demons like Ika did! I just can't! I'm not good enough! I'm sorry everyone. I let you all down…"_

"Bring her here Brutus. Can't have her too beat up if we want some fun." Callie can hear the bulky inkling approaching and she knows she has little time. Callie opens an eye and sees her bag. Then, she remembers. The shades!

"_Wear these if you ever need strength."_

Right! The shades can help! She isn't sure how, but she needs to try! Callie quickly grabs her bag and reaches inside. She can feel the shades and she pulls them out.

Pain erupts from her hand and she screams as the shades drop. Brutus has his boot on her hand, crushing it. Callie whimpers at the pain, flashes of Octavio's battle in her mind. She opens her tear-filled eyes and reaches for the shades again. Once she grabs them, she quickly pulls her hand back.

The other boot lands a split second before. Callie quickly puts the shades on, not wasting even a single second. The shades beep and Callie can hear whirring within them. She has just enough time to be startled before a massive electric shock hits her body.

The boss looks down at Callie, confusion lining his expression as the celebrity's body spasms, then falls limp. "Eh? What just happened?"

Brutus leans down and looks at Callie closely. "Not sure. Shades did something."

The boss grunts and walks closer. The other inkling mutters, "Well, it looked like an electrical shock. I'm not sure why, but those sunglasses of hers must've shocked her."

The boss leans down and looks at the shades. Suddenly, lights begin flashing across them in hypnotic patterns. The boss simply scowls. "Well, whatever they did, I don't like it. They're comin' off!"

The boss goes to grab the shades and an iron grip grabs his wrist. The boss yelps and tries to back away, but the hand won't let him go.

"Don't. Touch. My. Shades." Callie's hand grips a little tighter and the boss squirms, uncomfortable with how the bones in his hands are shifting around.

"Hey hey hey! Careful missy! You're gonna break a nerve with how my bones are movin'!" Brutus grunts and steps back, fists raised.

Callie looks up, her eyes blocked by the shades. Then, a malicious smirk appears on her face. "Oh, I'm gonna do more than just break a nerve."

Suddenly, the boss's hand snaps backward. A resounding sequence of _crack_s echoes throughout as the boss screams loudly, his hand limp and bleeding. Callie's smirk widens as the scrawny inkling backs up in fear. "What the. She broke the boss's hand with no effort!"

Callie stands up slowly and fully. Once she does, she cracks her neck. "Hmph. Weakling. Not even worth my time."

Brutus growls, then roars as he charges at Callie. Callie doesn't move as Brutus raises his fist for a devastating blow. Then, Callie's fist flashes and Brutus is knocked out cold twenty feet behind the scrawny inkling.

The third inkling looks at Brutus's broken and bloodied body, then to his now unconscious boss. He turns to Callie, fear in his eyes, just soon enough to see ink dissipating from Callie's hand. She shakes her hands slightly and breathes out. Then, she grins wickedly, her fangs glinting in the dull light. "Well now, he wasn't any fun either. How about you, ya little twig."

The final inkling steps back in horror, then turns around and runs. He runs as fast as he can, knowing that he _has to get away from that __**monster**_. Then, he feels a pain explode from his nose. The inkling screams as he's sent flying backward, sliding to a stop next to his boss. Brutus's body is thrown haphazardly next to him, which makes the inkling scramble back in fear.

Callie walks up to the inkling slowly, a sway in her hips. She leans down and grins maliciously. "You boys wanted to 'have fun' with my body. Well, I don't like boys like you. How about you enjoy my backside while you die?"

The inkling looks up at Callie with wide eyes, his hands gripping his nose in pain. Callie blows him a kiss, then turns away. With the same slow walk, she sways her hips, as if trying to pull everyone's attention to her. The inkling doesn't care though, he only wants to get away.

He turns around, ready to run, when he sees something that makes him pale rapidly. A suction bomb, right on top of his boss, and right in front of him. The inkling screams, but it's cut off by the explosion. Nothing is left over but three bloodied bodies covered in magenta ink. Each one of them is no longer moving.

Callie breathes in the fresh air on top of the building next to the alley. She grins widely as she feels the power coursing through her. "Is this what Ika feels when he uses his ink manipulation? It's incredible!"

Suddenly, a thought enters her mind. Callie frowns in response. "These are Octavio's shades? That loser can make something like this?"

Then, a wicked smirk appears on her face. "Well then. If that's true, then I want to see what else he has to offer."

Callie springs off the building, a smirk plastered on her face and not going away. "Sorry bro, cus. I'm a new inkling now, and nobody is going to stop me!" Callie's form disappears in the sunlight, and a ominous chill is felt throughout the world.

* * *

A screen displays the events that took place in the alley. The figure watching hums in thought, a glass of wine swirling with the motions of his hand. "So violent. Unexpected for such a kind-hearted inkling."

A fanged grin finds itself beneath blood-red eyes. "But entirely welcome. This new Callie, she's perfect! And now, my plan can finally begin." The screen shuts off and only the glint of a malevolent grin remains.

**-Author Notes-**

**I think I can safely say that is the most violent Octo-Callie I've ever seen. Callie is so malicious, it scares me to write her. But, either way, it's gonna happen.**

**I hope you all enjoyed as much as I did, and please leave a review! I love to hear feedback from you guys. Thank you, and I'll see you in the next chapter.**


	24. Chapter 23

**Chapter 23**

It has been a week since Callie's departure to Jellyfish Island. During that absence, the Agency and Inkopolis as a whole are changing.

The news station finally decided that, due to Callie and Marie's ever-busy schedule, they just can't work with the station anymore. Now Marie works with the radio as a public story reader.

Meanwhile, Amber and Cap'n went off on their own training trip. And with their absence, along with Callie's, Ika and Marie feel very lonely.

Ika is walking through the city streets on his way to meet with Marie at a cafe. He has nothing else to do with this peacetime.

The jet-black inkling sighs. "_What I'd give for something interesting to happen." _Ika looks up and sees the news station pop on. Along with that came the two new celebrities, the founders of Off the Hook, Pearl and Marina.

Ika smiles at the two energetic pop stars. "_Nice to see that the news got a good replacement for Callie and Marie. Not only that, but having an octoling there should help remove the image of all octolings being bad."_

Another voice decides to chime in. "_**Are you sure people will believe that?"**_

Ika pauses. "_Well… we can only hope, right?"_ Akuma sighs, but otherwise stays silent. They both know that's all they can wish for.

Taking another glance at the new duo though gives Ika hope. Pearl is so at ease with Marina, and Marina isn't nearly as military-heavy as most octolings. He feels like this can work.

Ika looks to his side and sees the cafe. He grins at Marie, who is sitting on one of the tables outside the restaurant. Sitting down in one of the chairs, he says, "Hey Marie. How are you doing?"

Marie sighs, her fork picking at her food. "It's… difficult, not having Callie around. I feel like part of myself disappeared."

Ika leans back, his posture showing relaxation. "Hey, come on. It's not like she'll be gone forever. Only a couple of months."

Marie looks up, her eyes filled with a maelstrom of emotions. "I KNOW that. But I just can't get over this feeling of… _something_. Something isn't right. I just know it."

Ika's gaze focuses rapidly at that statement. "So you can feel it too?" Marie nods. Ika looks up, all the way to the nearest TV. He could feel it as well. That gnawing, gut-wrenching feeling of _something isn't right_. And when you are an agent, where a single wrong move could spell your end, you tend to listen to your instincts.

Sadly, two cousins are more right than they ever would've wished.

Marina pauses in her speech as an inkling hands her a letter from the side. She opens it with curiosity, Pearl leaning over her shoulder with an eagerness shown only in Callie before.

Then, Marina's eyes go wide as her hand covers her mouth. Pearl is just a shocked, mouth hanging open in disbelief.

Marina coughs, clearing her throat. Then, with a seriousness only seen in octoling soldiers, Marina's expression darkens. "It seems we have some horrible news. Callie of the Squid Sisters has gone missing."

A crack resonates through the air as Ika feels the world fade around him. What…? No. No no nonono. No, that _can't_ be real!

Pearl grimaces and turns the camera as well. "She was last seen on Jellyfish Island on her way to the hotel. She never checked in and no sign of her has appeared since."

Marina nods solemnly. "So, please, if you have any sign of where Callie could've gone, call the police immediately! We need to find our idol!"

The words are nothing but jumbled messes in Ika's mind. Callie's… gone? _GONE?_ Red fills his vision, his beak clenches in pure _rage_-

"**Stop." **One single phrase and the world refocuses. Ika blinks and looks around. He turns his head and sees Marie, her beak clenched and eyes shadowed. Glass shards surround her hand, liquid pouring off the table, blood mixing in to create a disgusting brown.

Ika stands up, yelling, "Marie, your hand!" People look in their direction with rapt interest. Some gasp in concern, others show pity. Ika looks around, the looks and gazes and _eyes_ taking their toll. Ika flinches at a loud voice yelling "Marie!" Ika turns back to Marie with extreme concern. "Come on," Ika implores. "Let's get out of here!"

Marie stands with little resistance and Ika leads her down the street. Whispers echo around them as inklings begin speaking, pity echoing and _snickers_ of Marie's _anger._

Ika shakes his head, eyes closed, as the rage builds. He shoves it down as deep as he can and burns it. He can't get angry, not now. Not in front of so many. He needs to help Marie first. And with that thought, he pulls Marie into a side alley.

Moving down the alley so as to get out of the light, Ika pauses at a dark building back. Ika coaxes Marie into sitting down, watching solemnly as tears flow down her face. Ika stands up, his hair shadowing his eyes.

The jet-black inkling walks over to a wall, his fists shaking with rage. Then, with a roar of pure _anguish and grief_, Ika throws a punch. The wall cracks and buckles inwards at the force of Ika's blow, enhanced by these intense emotions.

Tears stream down Ika's face, his expression one of pure rage. "WHY! WHY DOES SOMETHING ALWAYS HAPPEN! Why HER?! SHE DIDN'T DO ANYTHING!"

Ika hits the wall again, but his energy is sapped by the intense grief he feels. "Just… why? Why does it have to be Callie? She's innocent!" Ika turns up to the sky as storm clouds begin rolling in. Thunder screams as Ika roars. "BRING HER BACK! YOU HEAR ME?! GIVE ME MY SISTER BACK!"

Ika breathes deeply as he stares at the darkening sky. He grits his beak and shakes his head, tears still flowing. A small nudge from Akuma tells Ika what he needs to do. Ika turns his gaze to Marie, watching her cry silently.

The jet-black inkling walks over and crouches down. "Hey, come on. Let's go and get you patched up." Marie stands up numbly, not a word coming from her mouth. Ika looks up at the buildings around them, then turns into a squid. Marie takes the hint and transforms as well. With a small grunt of exertion, the two leave the alley and make their way home.

* * *

White bandages shift to red as blood soaks into them. Ika gives a small, sad smile as he brings his hands back. "There. That should do fine for now." It took a while to remove all the glass shards from Marie's hand and clean up the blood left over. He feels a little guilty for leaving the cafe employees to clean up blood and glass, but he had to get Marie and himself out of there.

A hand moves its way under Marie's chin and slowly raises her gaze. Ika frowns as Marie looks away, tears still flowing. "Come on Marie. Let me help."

Marie doesn't respond, and Ika lets her head drop. Marie turns and curls into herself. Soft mutterings of "No. Not again. Not Callie." Could be heard from Marie.

Ika flinches as he hears 'Daniel' said multiple times. This event is hitting Marie harder than it is Ika, and that's saying something. Ika is Callie's brother after all…

A knock shatters the tense silence in Ika's apartment. Ika looks at the door and frowns, anger building at whoever thought they needed to interrupt him during this time of obvious pain. Everyone in Inkopolis probably knew Marie injured herself at the news, and Ika doubts people didn't hear his screaming.

Ika stands up and walks to the door, the second set of knocks more persistent. Ika opens the door, a grumble of "What is it?" coming from his mouth. His mouth closes though as he sees who exactly are at his door.

The police officer raises an eyebrow but otherwise doesn't react to Ika's rude statement. "Mr. Cuttlefish. We are investigating the disappearance of Ms. Callie Cuttlefish. If we can ask you some questions please?"

Ika looks back at Marie's shaking form. He grimaces, then mutters, "Fine. Outside though." The police officer nods and Ika steps out of his apartment. He closes the door, then turns to the officer. "Alright, what is it? If you can't tell, my cousin is in a lot of pain right now and I don't appreciate you disturbing her."

The officer doesn't react. Instead, he pulls out a notepad and looks at Ika with a critical look. "Mr. Cuttlefish. Where were you during the kidnapping?"

Ika raises an eyebrow at the question. "Here in Inkopolis? I have no clue when the kidnapping happened, but I've been doing Turf Wars ever since Callie left."

The officer nods, then states, "And you have no idea as to where Ms. Callie could've gone?"

Ika shakes his head. "No. If I did, I'd try to find her myself."

The officer raises his eyebrow again, which causes Ika to grumble in annoyance. The officer writes something on his notepad, then says, "Do you have any idea on who could've taken Ms. Callie?"

Ika opens his mouth instantly, ready to say 'No', but then pauses. He has one idea, but should he really say it to an officer? He looks at the officer once more, frowns, then decides. "I don't know. Callie is famous. Anyone could've taken her. But… what about the octolings?"

THIS piques the officer's interest. "Oh?" Ika nods. "The octolings hate us, right? As much as I'd hate to admit it, Callie disappearing is a low blow, one that hurts Inkopolis as a whole. If their idol can disappear like that, who's to say less skilled inklings are safe? It could cause paranoia and fear in inklings."

The officer pockets his notepad, a serious look on his face. "And how would you know this?"

Ika frowns, his mind whirling with thoughts, but his face stoic. "I like reading. A lot of stories I read do a pretty good job of explaining how that kind of thing works. And… I hate that it works with _my sister_."

The officer hums in thought then looks past Ika to his door. "I'll now need to conduct an investigation of the premise."

Ika sputters as the officer shoves past. "W-Wha?! Why? What could I have that could possibly help this investigation?!"

The officer begins looking around, upturning anything and everything in his search. "If a kidnapping happened to one of Inkpopolis's finest, who's to say it might not happen to her brother? Or her cousin?"

Ika looks at Marie, then back at the officer. Ika sees him leaving the living room and entering Ika's room. Ika runs after, his eyes wide. "Hey! Stop!"

The officer looks around, knocking on walls. "If there is nothing in here, you have nothing to worry about, Mr. Cuttlefish."

Ika frowns, his anger resurfacing. "You make it sound as if I have something to hide, like I was the one who kidnapped my _own sister!_"

The officer turns to him with a deep frown, suspicion in his eyes. "I have to cover all angles, Sir."

Ika growls, then frowns as the officer knocks on the secret entrance to his dojo kettle. The hollow sound makes the officer frown and he turns to Ika. "What's behind this wall?"

Ika crosses his arms and replies, "The entrance kettle to my training grounds. I keep it hidden so people don't try sneaking in. I have the warrants for it if you need them."

The officer frowns and searches the wall. He finds what he's looking for and pulls back the secret door. He sees the kettle and frowns deeper. He jumps in without a second thought.

Ika's eyes widen in surprise, then he groans in annoyance. A few minutes pass and the officer returns. He brushes his suit and says, "Alright. It is as you say it is." Ika raises an eyebrow in mock surprise.

The officer walks back to the living room, gets to the door, then turns around. He crosses his arms and says, "Now then. Mr. Cuttlefish, is there anything else you are neglecting to tell me?"

Ika frowns. "What? No."

"How about why your training grounds are in the mountains?"

"I like the scener-"

"Or why the mountains you chose are near Octo Valley?"

"That's just-"

"_Or_ why you have a _training ground _in the first place, and it happens to be near the Octarian HQ?!"

Ika pauses, the questions coming too fast. Why is the officer asking him these questions? He needs time to think!

A shuffling is heard next to them and the two inklings turn. Marie is standing tall, her eyes red from tears, but her expression one of annoyance and silent anger. "Enough with the questions. Leave my cousin alone. Leave _me _alone. Now _leave_."

The officer stiffens at Marie's piercing glare. He turns to Ika, then to Marie. He huffs and turns around, quickly opening the door and disappearing down the hallway.

Marie sighs, her body falling back into the depression it was in just moments ago. Ika gives Marie a weary smile. "Thanks for the save."

Marie just nods and goes back to the couch. She lays down and curls up. This time though, it seemed to be in exhaustion, not sadness.

Ika walks over and sits on the chair next to the couch. He leans back, ready to close his eyes, when a soft voice says, "Ika. Please. Don't leave me."

Ika looks at Marie and sees her shaking. He smiles sadly and stands up. He lays down on the couch with Marie, and his cousin wraps her arms around him. Tears soak his shirt as Ika rubs Marie's head. "Hey. I won't leave you. I promise." Quiet sobs are his only response.

* * *

"How was the investigation, Officer Michael?"

"About as well as it could've gone."

"Anything interesting?"

"No sir, not at first. However, he does have a kettle in his closet that leads to an area in the Octarian Mountains. He says he 'likes the scenery' and it's his 'training grounds'."

"Hm. Keep a close eye on him then. I don't like the sound of that."

"Yes sir!"

"..."

"Just what are you up to, Ika Cuttlefish?"


	25. Chapter 24

**Chapter 24**

Investigations are not easy, even for an agent. Finding clues for the disappearance of a person in another country entirely is not a simple task. Marie found this out quite quickly.

Ever since the news was broadcasted that Callie was missing, Marie threw herself into finding her younger cousin. She's the commander. It was her job to find a missing comrade. She had no time for jobs anymore. The radio doesn't want her anyways...

However, that didn't happen. Marie continues to come back fruitless, no clues whatsoever. Frustrated by the lack of success, Marie begins spending more and more time in Octo Canyon, using the area as a way to stay alone. However, she also uses it as her own personal HQ, even having a set of computers and private wifi in the shed setup at the entrance.

"Damn it, come on." Marie types away at the keyboard with a fierce passion. She is trying to access the Octoling database to see if they have something about Callie in their catalogs. So far, the firewall is doing a good job in keeping her out.

Marie looks to the side monitor and types in a quick code, then turns back and presses the input button. Numbers and letters flash across the screen, then a red line of text. Marie slams her fist on the table, beak grit in frustration. "DAMN IT!"

The pop star's head falls on to the keyboard, a loud groan coming from her throat. "What am I supposed to do now?" Marie looks at the scenery, then decides that she needs a break. She goes over to the edge and sits down. Maybe she'll find some sort of sign as to where Callie is…

* * *

Ika looks at the cafe, gives it a quick glance, then moves onto the next place. He's trying to find Marie, but he can't find her anywhere. It's like she disappeared. Just like Callie.

The agent runs down the street towards Inkopolis Square, the new hub of the city. "Maybe Sheldon's?" He runs into a crowd, pauses, then takes to the rooftops. Ika springs across the building with a purpose, then stops.

A top of a tall skyscraper, Ika looks down at the street below. Police men are filing about, pulling people to the side to ask for Callie. According to Sheldon, they haven't found a single lead and now are trying to just get information out of anyone.

What concerns Ika though is that one officer that visited his house. He didn't say it then, but the officer seemed convinced that Ika had something to do with Callie's disappearance. They couldn't know about Akuma. He's never had an episode in the city. So why do they think he made Callie disappear?

"**Either way, avoid them. If they believe you did, showing any sign that you are an agent may lead to the opposite conclusion."** Ika nods at Akuma's observation, then looks towards the square. There aren't any tall skyscrapers between his position and the square, so Ika can be spotted from ground level if he continues on the rooftops.

Ika looks over the side of the skyscraper and sees a pile of old mattresses in the alley below. Grinning at his luck, Ika spreads his arms out, then jumps. He falls head first, staring at the mattresses, ensuring he got the correct angle. Then, as the ground begins approaching quicker, he twists his body and lands on his back.

The mattresses and Ika bounce a bit from the impact, but otherwise Ika is unharmed. Ika pulls himself up, watches the crowd from the shadow of the alley, then slips into the crowd without a single soul noticing he was ever in the alley.

Ika smirks as he passes multiple officers with any even giving him a glance. "_I love stealth. Way too much fun." _Akuma gives the impression of agreement, which only makes Ika grin wider.

The street opens up and Ika enters Inkopolis Square. Ika looks around, then pins his sights on Sheldon's shop. He runs over and enters the store, stopping behind another inkling inside. The inklings grins at Sheldon and leaves with a Splatling gun, oblivious to Ika's presence.

Ika brings a hand up in greeting and grins. "Hey Sheldon!"

The horse-shoe crab pauses in putting the money away and looks up. He smiles widely at seeing Ika, his hand quickly putting the money away completely. "Ika! How are you?"

Ika shrugs, walking to the counter as Sheldon grabs a gun and begins polishing. "I'm fine. However, it's Marie I'm worried about."

Sheldon pauses in the polishing and looks up. "She still not doing well?"

Ika sighs and shakes his head. "No, she isn't. She's lost her jobs and never smiles anymore. I'm getting worried. And now, when I go to talk to her about it, she disappears!"

Sheldon frowns, humming. "Well, can't help you much in the emotional support department. However, I did see the lass run by my shop early this morning. My bet is that she went to Octo Canyon."

Ika's eyes widen, he looks around with his eyes, then nods. "Alright, thanks. Also, be careful where you say stuff like that."

Sheldon jumps, as if startled, then nods. "Oh! Right. Got it. See you later Ika!" Ika nods with a smile and small wave, then leaves the shop. He walks over to the kettle, glances around for anyone paying attention, then jumps in. Pays to not have any cops around just yet.

The pipeline jets Ika through the ground and pops him out on a large crevice of rock. Octo Canyon, similar to Octo Valley, is filled with moving platforms and octopus tentacle-rocks.

Ika looks around, wondering where Marie could be, and then pauses. He sees Marie sitting on the edge of the platform, staring off into space.

The agent walks forward, then sits down next to Marie. He looks at her and says, "Hey. How are you feeling?"

Marie doesn't respond verbally, simply shrugging her shoulders. Ika looks at her for a bit, then says, "Any luck?"

His cousin shakes her head, once again dismissing the conversation with a simple action. Ika frowns, his head tilting in confusion. He looks back to the scenery in front of him. The sheer height of the canyon and the river below is quite the sight to behold. "Nice view though."

Ika hears a low sound coming from Marie. He turns in worry, then leans back as Marie suddenly leans extremely close. "Nice view?! How can that be your concern when Callie is gone?!"

Ika stands up and steps back, not willing to fall just because Marie is upset. "What are you talking about?"

Marie stands up and tries to get herself close to Ika's face. "What I mean is that you've done nothing but smile and play games while Callie is missing! Are you worried at all for your own sister?!"

Ika frowns, his anger rising at that comment "Of course I am worried about her! Why wouldn't I be?"

Marie growls a bit, her eyes narrowed. "You don't act like you're worried. How can you smile if she is gone?!"

"Because that's what she'd want."

Marie pauses, taken by surprise by the comment. "Wha? But… you make it sound like she's gone… for good this time."

Ika, realizing what he said, leans down and shakes his head vehemently. "No. Nonono. I do not mean that she is dead. I'm saying that Callie, even if she is gone, wouldn't want us crying over her being gone. I just wish to uphold that wish."

His cousin sits down, her anger leaving her body rapidly. "I… guess. But what do we do? We can't just stop and give up on Callie."

Ika sits down next to Marie. "I don't want to give up on her. I may be playing around, but I've been monitoring the city and the police quite closely. We'll find her. We just need a lead."

Marie nods. "I've run into the same problem. I can't get a lead. I tried the Octarians but I just can't hack into their datafiles."

The jet-black inkling chuckles a bit. "Well, they are technologically advanced for a reason Marie." Marie, despite herself, smiles a bit.

Marie sighs, then looks up at the sky. "Nearly evening. I need to go feed Octavio." Ika nods and stands up with Marie. The two go back to the kettle and re-enter Inkopolis.

The pop star gives Ika a wave goodbye, then turns towards Inkopolis Plaza. She walks down the street slowly, her mind filled with a whirlwind of thoughts all clashing together. She shakes her head and focuses on her task. The one task she can't afford to neglect.

The Plaza reached, Marie walks over to the kettle and jumps inside. She sighs, eyes closed, as she walks over to the shed. "I'll get you some food Octavio. Give me a second."

Marie enters the shed and grabs a premade lunch for the massive Octo King. She walks out, bag of food in hand. "Alright. We got some tofu rolls, salmon, and a roll on the side. I can get you some soda if you beha-"

The words stop coming from her mouth as she looks up. In front of her is a mess of glass and water, no longer purified from the dirt it mixed with. There is also a distinct lack of Octavio.

The bag of food drops from her hand as Marie runs over to Octavio's globe. "What?! Where is he?!" Marie looks around the globe, searching for a sign, but unable to find anything. She looks out over Octo Valley and super jumps to the highest area.

The pop star lands and looks over the valley, searching desperately for the Octo King. No sign of him anywhere. Marie stops looking, then slumps over. "Even Octavio is gone. Where is everyone going?" Marie turns back to Cuttlefish Cabin and super jumps to the kettle to Inkopolis. As much as she wants to keep looking, she needs sleep. She can investigate tomorrow.

* * *

The next day, Marie wakes up to a quite noticeable lack of power. Marie frowns and looks at the fuse box, but she finds nothing wrong with the fuses. Another idea comes to her head and she frowns a bit deeper.

Marie walks out of her room and goes up to the roof of the building. She looks over to the glass canister holding the Zapfish, and then she pauses. No Zapfish. Marie looks around, looking for any sign of disturbance, but finds nothing. Suspicions rising, Marie turns towards the Inkopolis Square and super jumps away.

With a small splash Marie lands in the square. She looks up at the tower, then hums in thought. "Knew. I knew. The Octarians have to be up to something." Marie turns away from the tower and super jumps home, the tower behind her, Great Zapfish nowhere in sight.

Ika wakes up at the same time and finds a similar problem with his apartment. He goes out onto the street, eager to find out the problem, when he sees Marie rush past. She doesn't notice Ika, too focused on her destination. Ika's curiosity rises and he follows after her.

His cousin eventually stops at the Octo Valley kettle and jumps inside. Ika watches, so far nott seeing anything unusual. Then, Marie exits with a bag in hand. Ika's eyes narrow in suspicion, then he hums as he sees the small amount of armored black and yellow cloth sticking out of the bag.

"Agent armor," he mutters to himself. "Marie's trying to do something alone. Whatever it is, I can't let her do an agent mission alone. She's the commander more than a front-liner, so she isn't as good alone."

With that in mind, Ika sneaks over to the Octo Valley kettle and jumps inside. Meanwhile, Marie lands next to the Octo Canyon kettle entrance. She jumps inside and slips on her agent armor. Once that is finished, she rushes over to her computer set and begins typing.

"Where is it? I saw it earlier. Come on, come on… Aha! There it is." Marie presses on a document and a picture pops up alongside text. It shows a small building, obviously military in standard. It's labeled 'Octoling Outpost #63'.

Marie smirks as she memorizes the coordinates, then uploads a map of the place to her phone. "Alright. If I can get any intel on the Zapfish and Callie, it's bound to be at an outpost."

The pop star holsters a pistol on her back and slings her Splatterscope across her back. She turns to the direction of the outpost, then launches. As she falls, she braces for impact and slides through the kettle entrance.

Liquid slushes around her as Marie rockets to an area deep underground, far deeper than most settlements in the Octarian territory. Marie's body reforms atop another kettle and she looks around cautiously. The agent creeps forward slowly, her gaze never straying from the lone building in front of her.

Few lights are on, which only helps Marie sneak around. Marie slides to a stop next to a wall and looks out at the entrance. Two guards, both armed, but neither looking over at her direction. The pop star looks down the building and sees another guard beneath a lamppost in the back. He's looking in her direction, but with the darkness of the cavern and the light of the lampost he couldn't see the agent.

Marie looks up to the ventilation cover slightly above her. She jumps up and grips the cover tightly. Then, she pushes her body through as a squid. She shakes herself off, not willing to have dust inside her body, then shifts back to normal. The agent begins crawling forward slowly, occasionally taking out her map to figure out where she is going.

Finally, after a few short minutes of slow crawling, Marie reaches her destination. This vent covering is too small for her to fit in safely as a squid, so she needs to remove it. Marie grabs a screwdriver from her pack and unscrews the vent, slowly letting it fall open.

The pop star falls down silently, the vent hanging by its hinges above. Marie turns around and looks at the desk behind her. She walks behind it and picks up the documents on top. "Plan in motion. Set up for a few days from now. Agent 4 should attack any time now?"

Marie frowns and pockets the letter. Then, she grabs the document on top and reads it. "Step 1 finalized. Demon doesn't want to join. Propaganda initiated. Partial success. Elimination of Agents 2, 4, and Octavio required. Agent 1 converted."

Marie's eyes widen at the last sentence. "Agent 1 converted?! They have Callie!"

"Hey, did you hear something?"

"Yeah. Sounded like it came from the boss's office. Let's go look."

Marie's ear twitches as she picks up the muffled conversation. The agent looks around in a panic, trying desperately to find a hiding spot. Seeing none, Marie gulps nervously and turns to the door. She pulls out her pistol and aims at the door, ready to fight if necessary.

And suddenly Marie finds herself whisked into the ventilation shaft. Marie's eyes go wide in surprise and she struggles a bit, but then a familiar voice whispers to her urgently. "Hey! Quit it!"

Marie lays on her stomach and looks up at the perpetrator of her sudden escape. "Ik- Four?! What are you doing here?!"

Ika narrows his eyes and closes the vent shaft. "I came to help you. I saw you leaving for Octo Canyon with your agent stuff. And a good thing too. You almost were caught."

Marie's eyes narrow. "Hey! I could've taken two of the- MPH!" Marie finds her mouth covered as Ika brings a finger up to his masked mouth. He motions for her to stay quiet and looks down.

Two guards enter the room and look around. "Nothing. Could've sworn I heard something."

"Eh. Maybe just a rat."

"A rat? No, I don't think so. Let's tell the boss."

The two guards move away from the room and close the door, leaving the two agents alone once again.

Ika uncovers Marie's mouth and looks at her. "See? You alerted the guards. Never do that in a stealth mission. Plus, fighting them in the middle of enemy territory? That's just asking to get swarmed." Marie's mouth closes at that. "Now then, let's get out of here."

The jet-black inkling turns himself into a squid, adjusts himself so he can crawl back, and reverts back to normal. And with that the two agents make their way back to the outside.

Ika looks between the guards, then gestures to Marie to follow. The two run silently to the kettle and slip inside. No alarms go off.

Safely back at the shed Marie setup at, Ika takes off his mask. He turns to Marie with a glare. "What were you thinking, going in alone? You are a commander! You aren't fit for that kind of work just yet."

Marie frowns, crossing her arms under her chest. "I do just fine with Callie."

Ika nods. "Yes! WITH Callie! Not alone!"

Marie huffs in annoyance, then pulls out the papers she took from the outpost. Ika walks over and looks at them curiously. His eyes widen as he reads the final sentence. "They have her…"

Marie nods. "Yep. Not only that, but something else is going on too. A rebellion maybe?"

Ika reads the document again. "Sounds like a coup d'etat. We should look into this more."

Marie nods. "Yeah. We need to figure out what is happening. Plus, we can finally search for Callie."

Agent 4 nods slowly, then folds up the papers and returns them to Marie. "Alright. I'll be the infiltrator, you be the commander. But for now, let's lay low. Those guards suspect something and if more and more documents disappear, they'll suspect us."

Receiving a nod in reply, Ika turns away from Marie. "Go find something to do for now. We'll start in a couple days." And with that, the two inklings return to Inkopolis. Goal in mind, the two begin setting out an agenda for the upcoming missions. Callie WILL return, no matter the cost.

* * *

The door opens and a guard gestures to the room. "Right in here sir."

Octavius looks around his office. He walks forward slowly, hands behind his back, and he gazes at his desk. He notes the missing document. Then, he sees something on the floor.

He leans down and picks up a pistol. Sleak, futuristic in design, yellow and black in color. "An agent weapon," Octavius mumbles. "An Agent was here."

The two guards freeze up and look at their boss in fear. They meet the blood-red eyes of the octoling commander. "Agents were here, and you two didn't investigate."

The guards gulp, but nod slowly. Octavius sighs, then snaps his fingers. Another guard walks between the two, the bottom half of her face covered. She has a hat on her head with cloth hanging from the sides. Her military uniform is black in color and her insignia is that of a red octopus with sunglasses.

"Take them away please. They need to be boiled." The guard nods as the other two sweat profusely, begging with Octavius to be spared. He doesn't give them a second glance as they are dragged away. A few moments later and screams echo through the area.

Octavius sighs. "Ah, boiling pits. My favorite form of torture. Or should I say 'discipline'?" Octavius turns the pistol around, examining it. "An Agent. Interesting."

A fanged smirk stretches across the commander's face. "So they know. This'll be very interesting indeed.


	26. Chapter 25

**Chapter 25**

Police swarm the streets of Inkopolis. The investigation for not only Callie but the Great Zapfish as well is in full swing. Ika hums as he looks down from his perch on top of Ammo Knights. "_Oddly active this time around. Usually, Inkopolis leaves it to the Agents to finish things up."_

"_**Maybe the General gave them an order to continue searching?**_

"_No, the General wouldn't have that power. Only the Security Chief could do something like that."_ As Ika talks with Akuma, he gets up from his perch and walks over to the spot above the Octo Canyon grate.

The Agent peers over the edge and studies the landing position. "_**What would the Security Chief be doing though? She's never done this before."**_

Ika stands up and spreads his arms out. "_He. The old Chief retired and a new one got instigated a couple of weeks ago. Ridge, I think his name is? I don't know."_

With a small breath, Ika falls backward. He stares at the grate and angles himself to fall straight through. With the smallest splash, Ika slips through the bars and moves towards Octo Canyon. "_**New Security Chief? Explains the sudden changes. Who knows, maybe he's good enough to finally catch one of the 'famous Agents of Inkopolis' in action."**_

Ika mentally smirks to his alter-ego. "_As if. He'd have to go through the grate to catch us in action. Plus, with our bouncing skills and using the skyscrapers we can get around without even being seen."_

Akuma hums as the light of day approaches within the pipe. "_**That kind of overconfidence will get you caught."**_

The warmth of sunlight hits Ika's face as Ika responds, "_Maybe. We'll see if Mr. SC can keep up with us."_

A grin makes its way onto Ika's face as he sees Marie typing away on her laptop. He walks over and says, "Yo!"

Marie looks up from the computer and turns with a smile. "Well hello there Ika. Ready for the mission?"

A quick nod in response and Marie turns back to the computer. Ika looks over her shoulder to view the file. There is a lot of text, but the picture of a small skyscraper took Ika's interest. A very familiar logo was on the skyscraper.

Marie turns the skyscraper around, letting Ika memorize the exterior of the building. "It turns out that Toni Kensa has been dealing with the Octolings. They even have a building in Ceph City for the Octolings to manufacture and sell their clothing. However, this Octoling Toni Kensa, or OTK as I call them, does more than just Kensa's clothing. They apparently also manufacture goods for the Octoling army, including any of the higher-ups."

The file scrolls to one of the boxes of text on the outside. Marie points to various points of interest while saying, "There has been a startlingly large number of orders from the Octoling Commander in the past few weeks. No one knows what the Commander is ordering. However, given the information we have, I have a theory."

Marie looks at Ika as Ika pieces the puzzle together. His eyes widen. "The Commander is Octavius. That document said that he needs to eliminate Octavio and us. That sounds like a coup d'etat, which requires materials. If Octavius is Commander, then he can order from OTK without any backlash. He's getting materials for his coup!"

A smirk forms on Marie's face. "Nicely put Ika. That's about what I concluded as well. So, your mission is this. Go down to "Boss's" office and figure out what he is selling to Octavius. Also, see if you can find any information about Callie while you are there. Both are prime goals."

Ika gives Marie a short nod and turns to the direction of the Ceph City kettle. Within a second the Agent is already flying through the air towards his location. A small drop of ink flies from the kettle as Ika slips right through.

Soft gurgling is heard as Ika emerges from the kettle. Ika looks out at the city from the small outcrop of rock that the kettle is located on. He turns to the closest skyscraper and begins running across to his destination in the distance, easily distinguishable with the massive Kensa logo.

Ika lands next to the skyscraper and looks up at the roof high above. His target is on the floor directly beneath the roof of the building, typical for big boss types. Bracing himself, Ika launches high into the air, just barely landing on top of the roof with his bouncing.

Ventilation exhausts all lined the rooftop. Ika looks between them all, viewing the map on his phone for reference. He zooms in towards the roof and traces the vent path to the one on his left. Ika turns to the vent cover, manages to pry it open, jams the fan, and slips inside.

The vent is thankfully clean and well-kept, a small grace Ika is glad he received. The vent is also quite large, which enabled Ika to keep his humanoid form up in case of unexpected surprises.

Ika pushes the vent cover open and steps into the dimly lit hallway. The Agent turns to the lone door at the end of the hallway. Lights danced from beneath the doorway, tempting Ika to look inside.

The jet-black inkling walks up to the door and presses his ear against it. Hearing nothing, Ika wonders how to get inside without alerting the boss ahead of time. Ika glances up to the lights, down to his black clothes, and grins.

A knock at the door pauses the boss's discussion with his client. "Ok, I'll have to call you back. Someone just knocked." Ending the call, thankful to stop talking with the creepy Commander, the boss walks over to his door.

Opening it, all he sees is darkness. He frowns deeply. "What in the world? HEY! Who knocked? And why are the lights out?!"

A shimmer in the black of the hallway makes the boss pause in his ranting. He squints a bit, trying to see what he saw moved. Then, golden eyes open right in front of him.

The boss opens his mouth to yell, but a hand clamps overtop of it. Ika stares at the boss calmly. "No yelling. No screaming. If you know what's good for you, you'll answer my questions."

With a frantic nodding of his head, the boss is thrown back into his office. He gasps for air and backs up from the black figure in front of him. The figure steps inside and the boss finally sees the person's hair. Pitch black, the dots a dark grey. Obviously a change in ink color, but what concerned him most is that the tentacles are black _inkling_ tentacles.

The boss's eyes widen in fear. "A-An Agent! Agent Four!"

Ika walks towards the boss, who keeps backing up. Once the boss reaches the wall, Ika kneels down and stares at the boss. "I only have a few questions. Keep this quiet and simple and we won't have any issues."

Despite the shaking and fear radiating from the boss, he nods. Ika looks him in the eye and questions, "What are the supplies you are sending to the Commander?"

The boss opens his mouth, then pauses. "Wait. You don't have weapons. I can call security right now!"

The sudden coalescence of an ink brush makes the boss shut his mouth. Ika levels the inked tip with the boss's throat. "I said to be quiet and cooperate. Your life is forfeit if you disobey again."

A gulp and a quick nod lets the brush fall from the boss's throat. Ika levels a cold look with the boss once more. "Now, I'll ask again. What are the materials you are sending to the Commander?"

The boss shakes a bit. "M-Metals and w-wires from the surface, along with some e-engines! The i-inklings in Toni Kensa gave them to me for the Commander's payment!"

Ika hums, then questions, "What are the materials being used for?"

The boss shakes his head. "I don't know! I only sold them!"

A sigh escapes Ika's lips. "Alright, fine. Next question. Why is Octavius ordering so much from you?"

The boss pauses. "Octavius? Ah, so you know who the commander is." A wicked grin forms on the boss's face. "I don't know what he's using them for, but it'll be something impressive. He will liberate the octolings, after all!"

Silence echoes between the two. "_Did you get that?" _

"_**Already working on it. Focus on the interrogation."**_

Ika leaves the matter to Akuma. "Interesting. Now then, final question. Where is Callie Cuttlefish, the one kidnapped from Jellyfish Island?"

The boss shakes his head again. "I don't know! I'm an entrepreneur, not a military officer!"

The Agent nods his head in agreement. "Very well then." Ika stands up and moves to the doorway. He pauses at the boss's desk and looks back. "I'll leave you alone. However, if you even _think_ about telling someone about this event, you will pay for it." With that, Ika leaves the room.

Ika sighs as he stands outside the door in the darkness. He pulls out a little earpiece and puts it on. Static rumbles for a short bit, then clears out. The microphone he put under the boss's desk will let him hear inside the office.

Shuffling, along with the mumbling of the boss. "Foolish Agent. As if I'd comply with an enemy of the Octoling Empire."

A click is heard as Ika frowns in disappointment. "Yes. Yes, I have urgent news. No sir, it isn't a waste of time."

Ika presses a button on his headpiece and waits. "Yes sir. Sir? What was that? You're cutting out. Sir? Sir?!"

With that signal, Ika slams open the door and advances on the boss. The boss's eyes turn into saucers filled with fear. He backs up rapidly, but boxed in this room as he is, he couldn't escape as Ika's hand grabs his throat.

Ika growls and states, "I warned you. I warned you that you would pay. Now, as I can't seem to trust you to live, you will die."

The boss chokes and pries open Ika's hands just enough to speak. "Y-You… w-wouldn't d-dare! A-A-Agent Four… n-never had a-any k-kills! Y-You're t-too w-weak!"

Ika's head tilts and the boss's face pales. The color in Ika's eyes drain away, whites shifting to black, gold bleeding into a sickening blood red. "**And do you know why that is? Why I am called the Blood Wraith despite never killing? My ink color and stealth would seem adequate, no?"**

The boss nods in agreement. Then, Akuma's hand tightens. "**Correct, but not the full story. You see, the reason there are no reports of any kills by my hand is because NO ONE survived to report them."**

A red substance flows down Akuma's arm slowly. A drop falls onto the boss's exposed hand and he chokes in pain. Ink. Akuma frowns. "**Don't bother pleading for sympathy. I checked your file before arriving. No family, no friends, simply a man who works for his own benefit. A selfish stain upon this world.**

The ink begins to build on the inner parts of Akuma's fingers, just centimeters from the boss's neck. His eyes shake in terror and he squirms in desperation to get free. "**Now then. I have a reputation to uphold. No kills, right?"**

The ink on Akuma's hand squirms, then pushes into the boss's neck. The boss's eyes roll back as the choking turns into gurgles, then dies down. "**So that means no survivors."** Akuma let's go of the boss and stands up.

Color comes back to Ika's eyes and he sighs deeply. He looks at the dead body beneath him and grimaces. Ink, the same color as blood, leaks from the body's mouth. For all Ika knew, real blood could be mixed in.

Ika shakes his head and turns away. "_Gruesome as always. At least it was quick."_

"_**I do try sometimes."**_

Ika shakes his head and walks out of the room, exiting the building the same way he came in. After, he makes his way across the rooftops with zero trouble, instantly jumping into the kettle and returning to Octo Canyon.

Mission complete, Ika returns to Mario's HQ and reports what happened. Marie nods in consideration of the information. "So, Octavius is definitely planning a coup d'etat. However, metal, wires, and engines? He must be building something. "

Ika shrugs his shoulders. "Could be anything. Maybe to help him 'liberate' the octolings?"

The pop star nods. "Very well could be, but we won't know until later. Also, no information about Callie?"

A shake of Ika's head is her response. Marie curses to herself. "Damn." She turns to the computer and pulls up another file. "Alright. I did manage to get some more information though."

The file shows the picture of an Octoling elite. Her hands have gauntlets on them with mechanical boots on her feet. Her hair is tied back in a ponytail that goes to her mid-back and she has a scar just beneath her right eye.

"General Kai, the most fearsome fighter Octavio has at his disposal. Supposedly _so_ good that he can't afford to risk her being ambushed by us. She stays in the city and protects the citizens from us if we do ever appear, among other things."

Ika raises an eyebrow at the last comment but ultimately doesn't question it. Marie pulls up another file. It shows a construction site. "For now, Kai is stuck training some new recruits. However, she'll be guarding this construction site next week today at 3 PM. It's to protect from riots, which seem to happen more and more lately."

A smirk forms on Ika's face. "And we already know who is causing them."

Marie nods. "Alright. Go and rest up for this. We don't have little missions like last time. All we need is to get the Great Zapfish and Callie back. We can focus on the other zapfish after."

Ika nods and turns away. With a quick wave, he jumps into the kettle, leaving his spare agent gear behind. A soft _splish_ and Ika is redeposited on the streets of Inkopolis. Luckily, the evening is rolling in and no one is playing Turf Wars, for obvious reasons.

That's when Ika feels his arms constrained to his sides. Ika turns in a panic. "Wha-? MFPH!" A gag is placed over Ika's mouth and a blindfold over his eyes. Ika squirms, trying desperately to summon his ink brush or use his ink manipulation. But, just then, something is injected into him.

All the control Ika has over his ink is lost, leaving him to the mercy of the people who are taking him. Ika squirms, trying to get out of his bindings, but can't. Resigned to his fate, Ika stops and simply listens, trying to determine where he is.

It only takes a few minutes before Ika is given sight and sound once more. Ika breathes in deeply and looks around. A blank room, light grey walls, with nothing else but a camera. And, sitting across the table from Ika, is a man.

Ika's eyes widen in recognition. "Ridge?" The inkling has a gruff appearance with a small mustache under his nose. He looks reminiscent of those ancient pictures of people in the 'Mid-West' as it was called. Although, he is wearing a police commander uniform, not a vest and jeans.

Ridge frowns. "About time I caught you, Ika Cuttlefish."

Ika looks around in thought. "What's going on here? Why did you bring me to an interrogation room?"

The Security Chief stands up and paces very slowly. "I brought you here because I have had suspicions about you. I have multiple pictures of you entering and leaving the Octo Canyon and Octo Valley grates. Grates that NO ONE was supposed to know lead there!"

The Agent frowns. "How did you get pictures? You'd have to think it was me first."

Ridge nods. "That's correct. However, what tipped me off was the investigation my officer did in your house. A training area, made secret by a hidden wall, and it happens to be in Octo Valley too?"

The Security Chief sighs. "Honestly, I was expecting it to be difficult to find things about the octolings. But to think, the top fighter of the league is dealing with octolings."

Ika grimaces at the assumption. "Woah woah woah. What makes you think I'm dealing with the octolings?"

Ridge raises an eyebrow. "Oh? What else could you be doing down there?"

The jet-black inkling pauses, thinking about his decision. Is it worth it to give up the Agent secret for the Security Chief, just to get out of this safely? Considering the alternative, no other choice is available. "I'm an agent."

Silence forms around the two. Ika waits, expecting the outburst of denial, brushing off his words like some stray dust on their jacket. Then, Ridge speaks. "Hm. That is a possibility I did not consider."

Ika's eyes widen. "What? You actually… believe me?"

Ridge frowns again. "Believe? No. Consider the idea? Yes."

The Agent grins widely. "Wow! You're much better at this than the old Security Chief!"

Despite himself, Ridge smirks slightly. "I certainly hope so. I will stop at nothing to defend this city. And I will make sure that _my Force_, not some secret agents nobody has ever seen, are the ones doing the protecting."

Ika smirks in return. "A noble goal. You'd make a good agent."

The Security Chief widens his smirk, then lets it drop as the serious air settles again. "Now then. How can you prove that you are an agent?"

"Hopping."

A pause. "What?"

"Hopping. Secret military technique, something only soldiers should know? Allows you to jump nearly 50 feet in the air without injury or transforming? Does that ring a bell?"

Ridge sighs. "My goodness, is it really called 'hopping'? But yes, I do know of the technique. And you know of it?"

Ika nods. "Yep. So do all the other agents. Just look at my file. I never joined the army, and the army is too good at keeping it secret for me to stumble upon it. And although my grandpa is the famous Captain Cuttlefish, he's been too old to do that technique for years."

A deep rumble resonates from Ridge's throat. "Well, I guess you do have a point." Ridge puts his hands behind his back. "Fine then. I have nothing to go by but your word, but I'll let you go. However, I will keep a close eye on you. If I see any sort of action that shows you are helping the Octolings, I will be forced to act."

The Agent nods in agreement. "I can respect that. It's nice to have a Security Chief competent in their job."

Ridge just smirks in pride. "Nice to see that a famous Agent thinks of me so highly. I intend to go beyond your works, Agent Cuttlefish."

Ika grins. "Agent Four."

The Security Chief nods. "Alright. Agent Four it is. I think we'll be good comrades." Ridge extends his hand. "If you are truly who you say you are, let's meet again soon."

The Agent nods and shakes Ridge's hand. "I'll be sure to do that." With that final deal, Ika leaves the station, mind swirling with the thoughts of future allies and Inkopolis's bright future.

* * *

"Another casualty?" Octavius growls as he examines the body of his formed supplier. "Damn that Agent Four. He's improving."

Octavius pauses, then sighs deeply. "No matter. I already have everything almost finished. Just a week or two and everything will be ready."

A wicked grin forms on Octavius's face. "Maybe it's time to let the 'king' know about these events. It's time for a little chaos."


	27. Chapter 26

**Chapter 26**

A week has passed and excitement hangs over Ika like a halo. His grin is wide and shining, and it is obvious that he is anticipating something with a passion.

When Marie sees this, she coughs out a laugh despite herself. "W-Wha?! Why are you so happy?"

The grin on Ika's face just grows. "Because I get to fight the Octolings' best fighter! I've been practicing a new technique this past week in anticipation."

A chuckle escapes Marie's mouth. It's times like these, times where Ika becomes the shining light in Callie's absence that Marie can feel happy again, even for a bit. It won't be permanent until they retrieve Callie though. Marie smiles. "Well then, don't let me keep you. Head on in there and try to get some information out of Kai. I'll focus on getting more information from the Octolings."

Smirk firmly in place, Ika nods and takes off to his destination. Once again, he is infiltrating Ceph City, but this time he is moving to the more populated areas.

Ika glances at a map on his phone. Something like this can't be ignored and he has multiple escape routes planned out. He can't afford to be caught, and if someone sees him, then he will be swarmed in an instant.

With a soft _splish_, Ika finds himself back in Ceph City. He bounds across the skyscrapers, his target visible from the entry point. With one final leap, Ika lands on a beam over the workers.

Beneath him he can see multiple people milling about. Many of them are citizens, and all of them are unarmed. There seemed to be only one guard too. One look gives all Ika needs to figure out that this is Kai.

Ika jumps to another beam and looks down. Kai seems to be on high alert, evident by the way her eyes dart around the place. Ika frowns, wondering how exactly he can get her alone.

Then, without warning, Kai looks up. Ika's eyes widen and he presses himself against the beam. After a few tentative seconds, Ika looks out from the beam. Kai is looking across the construction site again.

"Alright folks, I think it's time for a break." The construction workers all sigh in relief at Kai's statement. Soon everyone leaves the work area. Everyone except Kai.

Ika frowns in suspicion. Why would Kai stay behind? It seems awfully convenient for him. Not willing to risk the chance though, Ika moves across the beams silently and carefully.

Kai makes no movements beneath him, simply standing there and watching. Ika frowns deeper as he lands on a beam just above Kai. His position is perfect, no one around to catch them, everything seems to fall into place.

Ika jumps from the beam and lands on top of Kai, if she didn't move out of the way. Emerald green eyes lock with shining gold as Ika forms his brush and lashes out. Kai grabs it, locking it in place. By the time the brush is stopped, Ika is bringing his other hand around. A knife coalesces in his hand as he slashes at Kai's neck. Another hand grabs his wrist.

Silence follows the deadlocked exchange. Ika stares at Kai with potent interest, excited at the prospect of having someone who can keep up with him. Kai doesn't say a word, simply staring at Ika with alert eyes.

Then, Ika backs away. His knife and brush dissipate as he stands straight. "Well, that was unexpected."

Kai doesn't relax, but she stands straight as well. "Yes, it was. You are just as formidable as the rumors say you are, Blood Wraith."

A smirk finds its way on Ika's face. "And you are just as strong as the reports say you are." Ika raises his hands in a gesture of peace. "Now then, I just want some information. If I can get out of this without either of us getting injured, I'll accept it."

The thin line of Kai's mouth twitches up. "And not get a good fight? I won't skip out on this. Why do you think I called the workers away?"

A light bulb goes off in Ika's mind. "So that's why they left so suddenly. I knew there was something going on."

Kai places a hand on her hip. "You aren't that difficult to see you know. Bright yellow and white clash with red."

Ika glances down at his agent vest, something he didn't think he'd have to cover for this mission. He chuckles sheepishly as he rubs the back of his head in embarrassment. "You got me there."

Then, Ika's eyes harden and his smile disappears. With no warning Ika seemingly disappears, reappearing next to Kai. His eyes flash red as his knife coalesces once more and slashes down onto Kai.

No mark is hit. Ika's eyes widen as Kai vanishes. Then, danger sense flaring, Ika jumps to the side. Kai nearly hit him in the back with a punch. Suddenly, Kai's body twists as she seems to burst forward, right into Ika's guard.

A hasty defense is created and manages to block the blow from Kai's punch. Ika grimaces at the force of the blow, his bones creaking from the strain. He backs off and runs into the maze of equipment, new plan forming.

"_I didn't notice it at first, but she has some sort of ink gauntlets on her hands. Not only will her blows burn me if they touch my skin, but the ink propulsion will make her punches nearly twice as forceful."_

Ika side-steps a kick from Kai, then ducks beneath another punch. Ika brings his hand back and swipes forwards. As this happens, his brush forms in his hand, sending a wave of ink from the weapon.

Another strange burst of movement, something that catches Ika's eye, and Kai moves out of the range of the brush. With that momentary distraction, Ika disappears once more.

Ika slides to a stop behind a pile of cementing equipment and looks at the sea of beams and machinery scattered around the construction site. Kai slides to a halt next to a table of tools a few beams down. She walks slowly forward, her eyes darting everywhere once more. It's obvious that Kai is searching for him.

Then, Ika notices something. Wherever Kai stepped, a small imprint of ink would be left over. Ika's eyes narrow as he stares at Kai's boots. That's when he sees it. Ink dripping from the bottoms of her boots. "_Ink-propelled boots! That's why she's so fast! It also explains those odd bursts she was doing before."_

"_**In that case, you focus on keeping her distracted. I'll form something in the meantime."**_

"_What does that mean exactly?"_

"_**Remember that I'm the one with the better ink control. When I say switch, switch with me."**_

Ika gives a quick mental nod and looks at the cementing tools next to him. He grins, plan in place.

A loud series of _clangs_ echo throughout the construction area. Kai pauses in her stalk and looks to the left. A series of massive cement barrels are rolling down to her from the beams above. Kai steps back using her boots, narrowly avoiding turning into an octopus pancake.

Then, a faint noise is heard behind her. Kai side-steps another slash from Ika, the blade whizzing past her face.

The Agent attempts a horizontal slash at her neck. Kai simply ducks down. Ika brings out his brush and sends out a wave of ink, then runs into the wave. Kai avoids the wave quite easily, but her eyes widen as Ika emerges from the ink.

Blood. Kai feels the blood trickle down her cheek from the shallow cut Ika gave her. A burning pain courses through her head as red ink seeps into the wound. Kai grimaces and brushes the wound, removing most of the ink inside.

Ika steps back a bit, watching Kai as she brushes the wound. Then, Kai's gaze snaps upward. The general launches forward and collides with Ika's nose before he can step away.

The Agent groans and grips his nose in pain. "The nose! Why is it my nose again?!"

Ika isn't given time to sulk as Kai brings her leg up for a roundhouse kick. Ika's hands drop and he prepares to dodge backward.

"_**SWITCH!"**_

Startled by the command, but still expecting it, Ika shudders slightly. Gold bleeds into red as whites turn black as night.

Akuma drops below the kick, faster than Ika would've reacted. During this action ink forms around his hand in a ball, a very compact ball. As Akuma hits the ground, he swipes his hand forward.

A massive wave of ink explodes from Akuma's hand. Kai tries to avoid the wave, but not only is she left unbalanced by her kick, but the wave is too big. Kai's boots get soaked in red ink and begin sparking.

The general grimaces and pries off the boots quickly, not wanting any sparks reaching her body. Then, she glances back and brings a hand up.

Akuma's slash is blocked just a second before it hits Kai. Kai smirks at Akuma, showing pride in her abilities. Then, her eyes go wide.

A pulsating binding of ink forms around Kai's torso in the shape of an unstable bubbler. Akuma grins wickedly. "**It took some preparation, but I was able to somewhat duplicate Agent Three's ability to make specials using my own ink manipulation. Not as stable, but just as effective."**

The bubbler tightens and Kai grimaces at the proximity of foreign ink around her body. She sighs, then looks up with resigned acceptance. "Alright, you got me. Let me speak with Ika."

Akuma pauses, taken by surprise, then nods. Gold returns to Ika's eyes, white shining behind them. Ika doesn't move his hand, afraid that if he does he'll destroy the makeshift bubbler Akuma created. "I have some questions for you."

The general just grins slightly. "And I have answers."

Ika blinks, confused by the reaction. "Huh?"

Kai's eyes look at the ink around herself, then back up to Ika. "You beat me fair and square. I haven't had a fight like that in such a long time. I'm willing to uphold my honor and give you what you want. As long as it isn't detrimental to the good of the Octolings that is."

Ika smirks in reaction. "Well then, thank you very much. Alright, are you ready for the questions?" Kai nods.

"First question: Where is Callie Cuttlefish?"

"I can answer that at the end. It'll be important."

"Fine. Next: What is Octavius doing with the metal he is ordering?"

"Metal? What do you mean?"

A grimace forms on Ika's face. "Damn it. Guess you wouldn't know, being Octavio's general."

Kai gives him a confused look, but Ika continues without noticing. "Alright. Where is the Great Zapfish?"

This makes the general smirk. "I can answer that with where Callie Cuttlefish is. Over at Cephalon HQ, Octavio is hosting a big event in three days' time. He proclaims that he'll be defeating the infamous Agents once and for all. That is where you'll find the Great Zapfish and Callie Cuttlefish."

A frown of worry replaces Ika's serious expression. "She's with Octavio? What's going on?"

Without even realizing, Ika's hand moves to his side. The bubbler disperses and Kai jumps back. Ika looks up, startled, but Kai doesn't move to attack. She instead gives him a salute and runs back to the area where she watched the workers. Ika blinks, confused as to what happened.

With nothing left to do, Ika walks to the nearest skyscraper. He jumps onto the roof and begins bounding across the rooftops, wanting desperately to tell Marie about the information he learned.

Then, a cheer rings out from the street below. Ika looks down, curious, and pauses in his stride. Down below, on a platform made for politicians, is Octavius. Curiosity rising with a bit of concern, Ika jumps down to a thick railing three stories above the street. Ika crouches, reducing the possibility of being seen, and watches.

"My people! The inklings have oppressed us for the past century! We have been forced to live underground, just barely scraping by with the resource we have! It's a battle just to get crops grown and food for the people!"

The Octolings gathered below watch with rapt attention as Ika listens with grim interest. Octavius continues his speech. "The inklings live in prosperity while our people suffer daily! So many of us can't afford homes, food, or even weapons! We need to rise up and combat this oppression!"

A cheer erupts from the crowd below. Ika can't say he's surprised by this, but it still disturbs him to hear this propaganda from Octavius. Ika turns away, ready to leave before he hears any more slander against innocent inklings. Then, Octavius says something that makes him pause.

"But the inklings are not our current problem. We have more pressing issues here at our very home!" Ika turns and watches Octavius again.

The crowd shushes as Octavius speaks again. "Our king, King Octavio, has been too lax in his rule! He has done nothing to help us in our endeavors! He is obsessed with defeating the Agents, but too cowardly to take action!"

A murmur is heard from multiple Octolings. Octavius's booming voice echoes once more. "We need to take matters into our own hands! We must control our destiny! Why submit to the rule of a king that cannot protect his people?!"

The murmur begins to turn into a dull roar. Octavius throws his hand out to the side like some sort of deranged priest. "Follow me! Follow me and we will liberate the Octoling race! The Octoling race will know freedom once more!"

The crowd roars with applause and cheers. Slander against Octavio is thrown like confetti. Ika grimaces and gets ready to leave. He turns and launches himself towards the kettle. He doesn't want to be in this city any longer.

At the crowd below, a sickening grin forms on Octavius's face. His head is turned to the crowd, but his eyes are focused on the Agent that goes back up to the rooftops. "_Soon, Agent Four. Soon my visions will be realized."_


	28. Chapter 27

**Chapter 27**

Cephalon HQ. A bustling metropolis hidden deep beneath the earth. Few outsiders knew of its existence, but the activity within was just short of the exuberance of Inkopolis itself. Cavern walls scaling as high as mountains, massive screens the size buildings lining them with various news and reports. This day, the king himself would make an announcement.

"ATTENTION ALL OCTOLINGS!" Every single citizen pauses in their work and turns to the screens. The centermost screen, the largest one by far, shows Octavio's face. The King smirks and exclaims, "A NEW BATTLE WILL BE OCCURRING IN THE ARENA SHORTLY! FEATURING MYSELF AND A SPECIAL GUEST, IT WILL BE A HELLISH SHOWDOWN!"

The Octolings all have various reactions. Some go towards the arena instantly, eager to watch the show. Others are indifferent and simply go back to work. Some… some glare at the king and turn away, walking to someplace in the city.

High on top of a near skyscraper, Ika grins widely. If that wasn't a challenge declared by Octavio himself, then he is a lion shark. A faint buzz echoes in his ears, then Marie's voice appears. "Agent Four. Can you hear me?"

Ika gives a nod of his head. "Hear you loud and clear. Got the drone up and running?" A small drone then flies in front of himself, then disappears into thin air. Ika smirks. "Alright. In that case, I'm going in."

The Agent dives down from his perch, bouncing down from various poles, railings, and other obstacles. Once on the ground level, Ika peers out from the alley he is in. The entrance to the arena is right across from him, but no one is in sight. Ika frowns in suspicion and steps out from the alley.

Nothing. No one attacks, not even a single voice calls out. Ika walks toward the entrance slowly, his eyes darting around for some sign of danger. The lack thereof only serves to make Ika more on edge.

"What's going on," Marie mumbles. "It wasn't this quiet the last time you came here."

A shiver goes down Ika's back as he realizes that the city itself is silent as well. "I don't know, but I know that something bad is going on. Something really bad, and I'm about to walk right into it."

The entrance to the arena passes overhead as Ika continues walking. Ink swirls around Ika's hand and forms his brush. If he is about to walk into a trap, he isn't going to go unprepared.

Darkness surrounds Ika like a tarp. Thick, heavy, and hard to push off. Another shiver goes down Ika's back from the complete silence and pitch-black hall. Something is _very wrong here._

Then, before Ika even realizes what's going on, a spotlight blinds him. Ika's hand shoots up and blocks the light from his eyes, the pain from the light messing with his head even more. Once he can see in the light, he looks forward again. He freezes in complete shock.

Standing beneath another spotlight, back turned away, is a very familiar squid. The getup is very gaudy, nothing like usual, but the color scheme and design are so familiar that Ika doesn't even register the outfit at first. Then, one word is echoed in the silence. "C-Callie?"

The pop star turns her head, which makes Ika pause again. Right on top of Callie's eyes are the very shades she got from the special fan. The one that cheered for her. Rage builds in Ika's mind at the obvious deception he sees before him.

Callie, or what's left of her, smirks wickedly. "Ah, little bro. How nice to see you! You've certainly come far in finding your 'dear sister'."

The condescending tone of voice from the normally sweet inkling throws Ika for a loop. "W-What?"

The smirk on Callie's face grows as she turns around fully. "What? Surprised that your 'sweet big sister' is on the enemy's side? The look on your face is priceless!"

Ika is unable to make a retort, his mind still whirling from this sudden change of events. Evident by the silence in his headset, Marie is no better. Callie suddenly looks up and grins widely. Her fangs glint in the spotlight. "And my cus! She's watching too, huh? We have the whole gang here!"

This breaks Ika out of his daze. He looks up to where Callie is looking, but nothing is there. "_She can see the drone? How?"_

"_**Whatever is going on, it isn't good. Be on your guard Ika. Don't let her confuse you."**_

Despite the warning, Ika finally speaks out. "But… why?! Why are you here?! You shouldn't be with the Octolings!"

The grin on Callie's face turns into an ugly snarl. "And why?! They've given more strength in a month than I've ever gotten from being with you guys! I'm practically unstoppable now!"

A maniacal grin stretches across Callie's face. "You've done nothing but look down on me. Well, now I'll look down on you, figuratively and literally! HIT IT, DJ!"

The stadium shakes wildly and Ika nearly loses his balance. Suddenly, Callie begins rising into the air. More spotlights turn on, and soon the whole arena is illuminated. Despite the shaking, despite the obviously rising machine beneath Callie, what he sees around him makes him pause.

Octolings. Every seat, every corner of the bleachers, has an Octoling. All of them are wearing red sunglasses, each of them starring with rapt attention. Some are grinning widely in anticipation, some are lax, and others look like they wish they could leave.

The shaking stops and Ika turns back to Callie. His eyes widen as a deep laugh echoes throughout the arena. Octavio smirks widely in his humanoid form, a sokutai draped over his armor. "Well, about time you showed up Agent Four! Now, we can finally get this show on the road!"

Callie smirks wildly. "You got that right! Let's remix this fool!"

Music begins blaring out across the arena. The song is so familiar that Ika has to step back in surprise. "Bomb Rush Blush… Callie's song."

Octavio grins widely. "But I remixed it so well, haven't I? And you squids seem to have a much better effect with song-based mind control! I haven't had this much ease in controlling the populace in ages!"

That's when it hits Ika. The reason it was so quiet, it was because the music must've been playing somehow and forcing the Octolings to be quiet. "How?! How did you get the music to play when I could hear nothing?!"

Octavio doesn't reply, instead simply smirking a little wider and pointing up. He glances up and sees Callie tapping her own shades. The realization hits him like a ton of bricks. "The shades. The shades play your music?!"

The king laughs loudly. "Of course they do! And no one suspected a thing! Tell them the shades are for seeing the battle better and no one will question a thing! Now, even with that pesky Calamari Inkantation, if you do somehow pull it off, you can't free the Octolings! My people will support me this time, just like they should do normally! No more of these insane riots!"

Ika growls lowly. "Manipulating your own people?! How cruel can you be?!"

This makes Octavio growl back. Despite himself, Ika flinches. A seven-foot-tall Octoling king growling at you is an intimidating sight. "My people need to be controlled! Those riots that have been popping up, if they keep going, someone is going to die! We already have so many losses financially, and some people are injured. I can't have them do this to themselves! As king, it is my responsibility to protect my people, even from themselves!"

While this does make Ika pause, he shakes off the sympathy. "That doesn't matter. It's cruel, and the fact that you are doing it to my sister makes you unforgivable!"

With that declaration of defiance, Ika launches forward in a blur. Octavio converts to his octopus form and swipes multiple buttons on his booth. Rockets fly at Ika with insane speeds, calamari bombs landing all around him and exploding into a wall of ink.

Ika's eyes flash red and ink coalesces around himself, then bursts outwards. The maneuver is rough and unrefined, but it does its job of clearing the rockets and making a path through the ink wall.

Ink forms on Ika's hands as the gold in his eyes bleeds to red. The white stays, but it's obvious that Akuma is influencing Ika's actions. "HYAH!"

The punch sent forward collides with an invisible wall, a barrier similar to last time. The blow cracks the barrier, the whole mech shaking.

Callie stumbles on top of the mech. "Woah! That's a really strong punch! We can't get hit by another one of those!"

Octavio grimaces and swipes a turntable. "Workin' on it! Just go distract him!"

This makes Callie grin widely. Ika watches as she jumps high into the air, obviously using the bouncing technique all Agents learn. Then, she does something that takes him by surprise.

Ink forms around Callie's hand, and suddenly, a roller is coming down on top of him. Ika's eyes widen immensely. "WHAT?! Callie can't use ink manipulation!" Ika hastily brings out his brush, blocking the blow from below. His knees buckle, but through sheer force of will, Ika stays standing.

Callie's sick grin contrasts Ika's pained determination. "Nice move bro! You certainly are as fast as ever!" The grin widens immensely. "But are you faster?!"

This declaration is in tandem with Callie seemingly disappearing. Ika's eyes widen again in surprise, then he grunts as a blow hits his side. Ika rolls across the ground like a rag doll, sliding to a stop near the edge of the arena.

Ika grimaces and grabs his side, magenta ink covering his armor. The armor is damaged and wouldn't be able to take another blow. A shadow forms over Ika and Ika looks up. As he sees Callie falling down, he rolls to the side.

Callie's roller slams onto the arena, ink flying everywhere. Callie twists and brings her roller up in front of her, the weapon twisting to turn vertically and cover Callie's body. The wave of red ink splashes against the roller harmlessly. "Nice reactions! This might actually be fun!"

A wave of pain courses through Ika's side, but he ultimately ignores it. "Callie, please! Fight Octavio's control!"

This makes Callie growl. "NO!" Callie runs forward at immense speeds and swings her roller like a baseball bat. Ika ducks beneath. "I WON'T LISTEN TO YOU! OCTAVIO HAS GIVEN ME EVERYTHING I NEED!"

Red flashes brightly as Ika sends forward another wave of ink from his brush. Callie jumps above the wave, smirk in place. Then, she gasps as her eyes go wide. Blood flows from a cut on her cheek, red ink mixing with blood in an indistinguishable mix.

Callie lands on the ground and touches the wound on her cheek. Ika stares with a grim expression. "If I can't use words, then I'll have to force you down! You're my sister and I'll do anything to save you!"

The stunned expression on Callie's face morphs into wild laughter. "OH MY! YOU CERTAINLY ARE MUCH BETTER THAN BEFORE!"

Then, laughter converts into angry growling. "But you still look down on me. DON'T LOOK DOWN ON ME!"

Callie brings her roller back, then swings it forward. The weapon drags across the ground, ink forming wherever the roller touches. Then, a wave nearly triple the size Ika can make is sent flying at the Agent.

Ika rolls to the side and begins running and watches as ink surrounds Callie's hand. The ink forms a bubbling sphere and Callie jumps back. "Take this!"

The ink forms a splat bomb inside the bubble and Callie lobs it at Ika. Ika slides to a stop and backs up from the splat bomb rapidly. His foot touches something behind himself and he turns to see another splat bomb at his feet.

Ika looks over and sees another bomb form in the ink sphere on Callie's hand. "_That sphere… she's making bombs with it."_

The Agent looks around himself and sees multiple bombs all around him. By the way they are all flashing, every bomb is ready to explode at any second. "_Akuma!"_

"_**On it!"**_

Black covers the white of Ika's eyes and Akuma spins around. Ink forms around his body like a mini-tornado. The bombs explode, but the ink is stopped by the barrier around Akuma.

"HAHAHA! You left yourself WIDE open!" Akuma looks up and sees Callie descending with her roller. Akuma's eyes narrow as ink forms around his fist. He grunts, the ink building, then throws the punch forward. The ink-coated fist collides with the roller and a tsunami of red and magenta ink flies across the arena.

Callie's form blasts across the arena, her back slamming against one of the few erected walls that formed during the fight. Callie's eyes bulge and she gasps loudly in pain, a few drops of blood flying out of her mouth.

The pop star grimaces and grips her side in pain, then looks up at the blast zone. There she sees Akuma walking toward his nearly-forgotten knife, only a few burns on his skin. This makes Callie's blood boil.

"NO! How are you STILL STRONGER?!" Akuma picks up the knife and relinquishes control. Ika sighs and stares at Callie. "Who says you aren't?"

This makes Callie pause. Ika frowns and whispers, "How close are you?"

Marie's voice crackles in the headset. "Nearly there. I knew it was a good idea to head your direction when I saw Callie. Keep her still, I'll be able to knock the shades off when I arrive. Or, unless you can do it?" Ika shrugs. "If I have the opportunity."

Plan in mind, Ika walks toward Callie. "What makes you think you aren't strong? You've always been strong to me."

Dumbfounded, Callie doesn't even try to stand up. "W-Wha?"

Ika smiles warmly. "How could I not think you're strong? You're the famous Squid Sister Callie Cuttlefish. Your first, _first, _ever solo was a bigger hit than most experienced bands! You're so talented Callie, that sometimes I'm jealous."

Callie seems to slump slightly. "R-Really? I'm… talented?"

Before Ika can answer, Octavio's exclamation of, "FINALLY!" makes Ika pause. He turns to Octavio and freezes in shock. Octavio grins widely from his mech. Right beneath him is a weapon, big enough to cover the entire arena in its range.

The king laughs loudly. "Like my new creation?! It's the Tesla Cannon, designed to cover an area in lethal electricity! And, the best part, you can't escape! The electricity will linger much longer than your jump can leave you in the air!"

Ika's eyes fill with fear and worry, some towards himself, but most of it to Callie. He looks at the tesla cannon, the 'barrel' of the massive weapon glowing and sparking with energy. Octavio grins widely as he watches Ika grab Callie. "FIRE!"

The electricity explodes outwards. Arcs of lightning crash onto the arena, electricity swimming across the metal. The tesla cannon hums loudly with a dangerous tune, music to Octavio's ears. He looks to where the Agents were and hums to himself. "How expected."

Ika looks down at the electricity as his jump makes him and Callie soar through the air. Callie, still in a daze, simply holds tightly. Ika looks at Callie's shades and pulls them off. Callie gasps in pain and suddenly falls limp. Ika flinches at the reaction. "Sorry, Callie."

The Agent looks up and sees Octavio's mech directly in front of him. Octavio grunts in annoyance. "Trying to land on my mech huh? Too bad that won't work!"

The mech suddenly bursts to the side, far beyond Ika's reach. Octavio laughs loudly as Ika soars past his previous location. "Too bad Agents! I've won this war!"

Ika stares at Octavio, the king watching with anticipation. Then, Ika grins, his free hand moving out just a bit. Octavio looks at Ika's hand, then gasps in shock.

The splat bomb pulsates in Ika's hand, then explodes. Ika twists his body to protect Callie from the explosion as his body rockets toward Octavio. Ika grimaces as Octavio's mech rapidly gets closer. "_Come on!"_

As Ika twists himself so his back is to the mech, ink forms across his back. Ika grimaces at the pain in his body, both from the blow Callie delivered earlier and the force of the explosion. However, with Callie in hand, he couldn't use his fists. His body would make the finishing blow.

Octavio's eyes widen and he reaches down to his mech, desperate to get out of the way. However, right as he is ready to move, a loud crash echoes in his ears. Octavio snaps his gaze to the side and watches as Ika barrels into his body. Ika chokes in pain as he slams against the mech's inner wall, effectively stopping his flight path.

Octavio isn't so lucky. The king finds himself flung out of the mech from the force of Ika's body. Octavio turns and sees the electrified arena beneath himself. The king reverts to normal and pulls a little microphone out of his pocket. "Discharge the arena, now!"

Nothing. Panic begins filling Octavio as the ground rapidly approaches. "Discharge the arena! Discharge!" Nothing happens. Screams reverberate as Octavio lands on the electrified metal, his body spasming as lightning scorches him to a black crisp.

Ika picks himself up from the mech and looks at the arena. He grimaces as he notices the electricity dimming down, but not for a good reason. Octavio lays limp on the ground, his body charred and smoking. Electrical burns littered his body and his skin looked ready to fall off.

Silence. Ika looks at the audience, expecting some sort of outrage over their king's injuries. What he sees frightens him even more than the silence.

Every single Octoling is standing. Every single pair of shades are flashing with bright colors. Those red shades, they are all like Callie's.

"How sad. I really wish that tesla cannon would've killed him." Ika looks up and sees Octavius descending on a floating platform.

The Commander tsks loudly. "So sad. The mighty King Octavio, taken down by his own weapon." Octavius grins widely. "The plan worked perfectly."

Ika grimaces in pain but manages to stand inside the mech. "W-What? What are you talking about?"

Blood-red eyes turn towards Ika. "Why, my plan to overthrow Octavio of course. I'm his commander, so he told me his plan to use the tesla cannon to defeat you agents. I, seeing the opportunity, agreed."

Octavius then turns to the audience. "But that's not all. I had to prevent any and all failsafes Octavio may have set up. So, I used the hypno-shades to control the populace. The guise of them being under Octavio's control was all false."

A wicked smirk forms across Octavius's face. "They're so obedient! They'll do anything they're told, no matter the cost! Much better than that prototype used on your useless sister."

Ika growls at the insult to Callie but ultimately holds back. "Alright, fine. You got your rebellion, I got Callie and the Great Zapfish. Let's just leave each other alone and call it even."

The smirk on Octavius's face disappears. "Leave you be? Now, why would I do that?"

The Octolings around Octavius begin moving out of the arena completely in sync. No sounds but the marching can be heard. Ika's eyes widen. "W-What? What are you doing?!"

Octavius glares at the inkling. "Your kind has done nothing but suppress us Octolings for the past century. _Century!_ It's about time we take over the surface and show you inklings how it feels to be shoved underground like some _wild animal!_"

Octolings jump down from above, many of them coming from the audience. All of them aren't wearing shades, and one looked very familiar. Octavius snaps his fingers. "General Kai! Kill Agent Four!"

Kai sighs and looks at Ika with remorse. "As you wish, Commander Octavius." One of Kai's teammates presses a button on a controller. The mech Ika stands in begins moving down to the arena. Ika stumbles a bit, nearly tripping over Callie.

Marie screams inside his headset. "Ika! I'm nearly there, just hang on!" Ika grimaces and yells, "Hurry up! I can't take this many on while injured!"

The troops begin surrounding the mech. Ika looks around in a slight panic, his eyes darting between each soldier. Kai grimaces. "I wish I didn't have to do this, but I can't choose you over my people." Ika gives her a grim nod.

Then, one last statement is heard from Octavius as his platform leaves the arena. One final message that freezes Ika's blood. "By the end of the day, Inkopolis will be nothing but a smoking crater in the ground. We invade Inkopolis tonight!"

**-Author Notes-**

**Look, Author notes! Anyways, this is the second to last chapter. This story is coming to a close next chapter! Hold onto your hats, it's going to be a wild ride!**


	29. Chapter 28

**Chapter 28**

**-WARNING-**

**The chapter below is extremely long! Be sure to take a break from the action if it gets overwhelming!**

A final standoff. A battle that could determine the fate of an entire city. Ika grimaces and grips his side, the nasty bruise beneath his skin pulsating in pain. Callie lay unconscious next to him inside the Octobot King Mk. II while an entire squadron of Octolings surrounds him on all angles.

The general leading the party shows regret in her eyes. "I'm very sorry about this Agent Four. I truly wish we could've become friends, or at least rivals."

Ika chuckles, then grunts in pain as his side flares up. Despite that, he still smirks. "Second time we meet and you are trying to kill me. Sounds like a nice relationship."

Despite herself, Kai smirks just a bit. Noticing what she did she wipes the smirk away and frowns deeply. "This is no laughing matter Agent Four. You are injured, surrounded, and your city is going to be invaded. I suggest you simply surrender so that no more injury can be held on your part."

The smirk on Ika's face only grows. "You know damn well I can't do that."

A sigh escapes Kai's lips. "Very well. I respect your determination, but that foolish behavior will be the end of you. Soldiers!" The Octolings around the mech all pull out their weapons. "Attack! Leave him alive!"

The soldiers all give a quick salute and begin firing upon the mech. Ika removes his hand from his side and jumps into the air. He grins at the soldiers below, his brush forming in his hand. Then, a resounding crack is heard.

Ika's eyes go wide in pain and shock as he rockets toward the ground. One of the soldiers behind the mech jumped up and used his gun to knock Ika down to the ground.

The Agent grimaces in pain, then coughs, blood trailing from his mouth. He looks up and sees the soldiers surround him. He smirks slightly, the exhaustion evident on his face. "Well now. You all are certainly more experienced than most soldiers I fight."

One of the soldiers places his foot on Ika's head, pushing him into the metal floor. The soldier snarls, anger in his eyes. "Don't joke around bastard. You killed so many of our kind. It's only fair that you get the same treatment."

A chuckle escapes Ika's lips and Kai can't help but listen with curiosity. "Funny. I've always thought the same thing. Too bad I can't let it happen right now."

A surge of ink coalesces around Ika's body as his eyes melt to the black-red of Akuma. The ink explodes outwards, the force of the wave enough to push the soldiers back a few dozen feet. Akuma stands up, exhaustion evident on his face. He grimaces and grips his side. "**Damn it Ika. Why are you so reckless?"**

Every soldier goes wide-eyed, some in fear, others in simple shock. One soldier steps back in hesitation. "The Blood Wraith…"

Akuma looks up, one eye half-closed from the energy he has spent. "**Blood Wraith? I'm still called that?" **Akuma steps forward and each soldier steps back. "**How nice. I'm still known."**

The 'demon' takes another step, the soldiers tensing in anticipation. Akuma grins widely as ink forms around his hand. "**Don't worry. I'm not the same as before. I'd prefer no deaths this time."**

The ink pulsates around Akuma's hand. The soldiers all stare with a mixture of fear and anticipation. Kai simply frowns, her arms crossed.

Another pulsation goes through the ink. This causes Akuma to pause and look down. He raises an eyebrow in confusion as the ink swirls and contorts, no obvious shape formed. Akuma frowns, confused as to what is going on. Then, the ink explodes.

The force of the explosion sends Akuma flying across the arena and sliding to a stop in front of Kai. The general places one of her newly-repaired boots onto Akuma's chest. The demon coughs, then grins. "**For once, I am useless. I'll let Ika take care of this one."**

The black in Akuma's eyes fades away, the telltale sign of Ika's presence. Ika grimaces at the pain in his chest and groans. A voice echoes in his headset. "Ika! Please hold on! I'm just a minute or two away."

Ika grins and nods, then looks up to Kai. The general stares down at him with a solemn look of resigned determination. Ika drops the grin and frowns. "Why? Why would you follow Octavius?"

The general frowns deeply. "He is our Commander. He has given us hope of a better future. With the liberation of the Octolings and the invasion of Inkopolis, we will finally have our freedom."

The Agent beneath her boot grits his beak in pain, then says, "You really believe that? You really think he'll help you get a better future?!"

Kai growls deeply, her boot pushing against Ika's chest. The Agent chokes in pain, explosions of agony coursing through his chest. "Don't speak ill of our Commander! He is a wonderful man, using any means necessary to achieve a brighter future for the Octolings!"

Ika grimaces and glares at Kai. "Damn it, what lies has he been feeding you all?! He's a horrible psychopath looking out for his own needs! He's controlling the populace, most of them citizens and unfit for combat, and leading them into an invasion! An invasion against a city filled with talented fighters and expert combat veterans!"

This makes Kai hesitate. Then, the steel comes back to her eyes. "That doesn't matter. We have the element of surprise. We will take over Inkopolis before anyone can retaliate! Then, we will send your kind down beneath the ground in our place."

The Agent groans in pain and intensifies his glare. "What makes you think Octavius will send us underground? I've seen his speeches! He despises the inklings! Just look at what he did to your king. _Y__our KING!_ Imagine what he'll do to my kind if he wins!"

Kai looks over to her king. Her king, the one she has served for so long. The one she viewed as a father, a steadfast figure in the darkness of their despair. No one knew how much Octavio tried to keep the underground safe, to allow Octolings to prosper despite their condition. Kai knew. So why… Why is she neglecting him in his time of need?

Seeing Kai's hesitation, Ika continues with one final push. "He killed one of his own men just to release Akuma!" Kai snaps her gaze back to Ika, her eyes wide. Ika gives her a grim glare. "Imagine what he'll do to the inklings if he doesn't care about his own kind. Think about your people under the rule of a man that'll sacrifice others' lives for his own gain!"

This is the final straw that Kai needs. She looks at her king, her father-figure, so torn up and beaten. It was Octavius, not the inklings, that did this to her king. Octavius nearly killed Octavio. He killed his own men just to try and get close to Akuma. He'd do the same in an invasion…

With a new mindset, Kai raises her hand. "Stand down soldiers." Most of the soldiers look at her with confusion, but due to their training, they comply. Kai removes her boot from Ika's chest and offers him a hand. He grabs it thankfully and is pulled up to his feet. Ika stumbles a bit, then steadies. He smiles at Kai. "Thank you for this."

The general turns away. "Don't mention it. Ever." This makes Ika chuckle.

Kai looks at her soldiers, examining each one. Some are simply awaiting orders, others seem livid at being unable to fight the Blood Wraith. Others seem relieved. Kai raises her arm. "Soldiers!"

Each soldier stands straight, guns resting across their chest in a ready stance. Kai lowers her arm and the soldiers holster their guns. Each one looks at her with curiosity and confusion as Kai begins speaking. "Today we do something that is unheard of for an Octoling. Today, we disobey the Commander!"

The soldiers look between each other in worry. It's unheard of for an Octoling to disobey their commanding officer. Octolings are simply too naturally disciplined to do so. However, Kai seems to think otherwise. Kai puts her hands behind her back, her face adorned with a serious frown. "Commander Octavius, the man we all believed would help liberate the Octolings, is nothing but a murderous liar!"

This causes a stir in the soldiers. Kai looks between each one and exclaims, "He has killed his own men to attempt his own goals! He has killed our people for his own needs! He nearly killed our King and is now attempting an invasion with an army of inexperienced civilians!"

That was a thought no one seemed to think of. No matter how militaristic or disciplined the Octoling race is, most of them are simply not soldiers. To launch an invasion with a force of citizens… One soldier voices her thoughts. "That's suicide! Especially against the Battle City!"

Kai nods. Battle City is a nickname given to Inkopolis due to its high percentage of experienced fighters. Turf wars truly help in that regard. "Yes, it is. That is why we must fight! We must fight alongside the Octolings and help disable the shades and stop this invasion!"

Another soldier speaks up. "But we have no idea where Octavius or the invasion force is! He gave us explicit instructions to stay behind. We have no info!"

This makes Kai turn to Ika. He grins. "You're right, we don't have info. However, we can do one thing. Meet him head-on!"

The soldiers turn to Ika with confusion. Before Ika can speak, he hears the whirring of an engine. He looks up and sees Marie descending in Sheldon's flying truck, Sheldon himself piloting the aircraft. Every soldier gawks in shock and awe while Ika just grins.

Marie jumps down from the truck, her Agent armor on and disguise in place. She looks between the soldiers and says, "Agent Four is right. We have to meet Octavius head on! Your kind, the Octolings, always have some sort of failsafe for electrical equipment. Even Octavius is prone to this behavior. As such, we can guarantee he will have some sort of console or machine that allows him to control the hypno-shades!"

Each soldier nods at this. It is very true that Octolings always have a failsafe. Octavio did with his tesla cannon and his Octobot King mech. It's a given that someone as paranoid as Octavius would have one as well.

Ika stands straight and looks between each soldier. "Tonight, we meet the invasion head-on. We keep casualties to a minimum and hold the line. I will find Octavius and free the Octolings."

Kai looks at his battered form and frowns. "No offense, but I doubt you'll be able to go in alone in that state."

The Agent waves her off. "Octavius said the invasion is tonight. Give me a few hours and I'll be able to perform near max capacity." Kai just gives him a nod.

Marie then speaks up. "First, we will warn Inkopolis. We will get defenses set up and the inklings in place. Then, with you all on our side, we will give Agent Four enough time to invade the backline and shut down the hypno-shades."

The soldiers all nod in satisfaction. A simple plan, but simple plans are always the best. Kai turns to her soldiers and exclaims, "For the King!"

The soldiers all raise their gun and holler, "For the Empire! For glory! For freedom!" Kai smiles as her soldiers all begin lining up, each one ready to move.

The general turns and says, "We will begin moving towards Inkopolis. Am I right to assume that we will be using the kettle that leads to the city near your base?"

Ika nods. "Yes. Head over to the kettle with your troops. We'll meet you there." Kai gives him a nod. She yells to her soldiers to march to the Inkopolis kettle. Soon, the entire squadron is gone from the arena.

With the soldiers gone, Ika and Marie return to the truck, Callie being carried between the two of them. As they fly back to the cabin, Callie finally stirs.

A groan is heard in the truck and the two cousins turn around quickly. Callie rubs her head and pushes herself up. "W-Wha? What happened?"

A force hits Callie's body and she nearly falls backward. She looks at Ika, the one responsible for the force, or hug, she just felt. She smiles. "Hey there Ika. Nice to see you too."

Ika squeezes a bit tighter, tears building in his eyes. "I'm so glad to finally have you back." Callie just returns the hug, Marie joining them in the process.

After a bit Sheldon yells out, "Hey! We're nearly there!"

Marie nods and stands up. "Callie, I have a spare set of agent clothes in that trunk next to you. Put them on and get ready for battle."

Questions rise in Callie's mind and she voices her thoughts. Her brother and cousin quickly explain the situation, how Octavius is going to invade Inkopolis. Along with that is the plan to stop the invasion with as minimal casualties as possible.

Plan set in her mind, Callie puts on her Agent armor. She grins as she puts the sunglasses over her eyes and her beanie on her head. "Feels nice to have _normal_ shades on this time."

The Agents laugh together at the joke, the tension in the air subsiding for the moment. The truck begins slowing down and the Agents look out from the truck's cabin. The HQ is directly beneath them, and a little ways off is Kai's squadron, each of the Octolings bouncing towards the HQ.

The Agents jump down from the truck and land in the HQ. Marie runs over to the commander area and types a few things into the computer. A sphere, invisible before, shimmers slightly. Then, it disappears.

As this happens Kai lands next to the Agents. She looks up at where the sphere used to be. "A barrier. That explains why no Octolings can get to Inkopolis from here."

Ika grins. "What? Think we'd just leave our HQ out in the open with no protection?" Kai shrugs. She has to give him that.

The Agent turns to the soldiers and says, "Stay here for now. I'll grab someone to help you all get into Inkopolis without the populace attacking you."

The soldiers nod and begin speaking among themselves, mostly about the upcoming battle. Marie turns to Ika and whispers, "How are you going to convince the whole city that they are allies? Not only that, but what about telling them of the invasion?"

This makes Ika grin. "I have someone in mind." Marie raises an eyebrow but ultimately leaves it alone. With that final statement, Ika leaves the group and enters the city.

Despite his instincts screaming at him not to, Ika leaves his Agent armor on. With the face mask and Akuma's red eyes, just to be sure, he wouldn't be recognized. However, wearing Agent armor in the city is just asking to be discovered.

However, there is another side to that. Ika wants the city to know the urgency of the situation. If they see an Agent in the flesh, running out in the open, then they will know something is going on. Based on the heightened amount of chatter around Ika as he runs through the city streets, it seems it's working.

The Security HQ appears within his line of sight and Ika runs straight towards it. The chattering of inklings gets louder, each one of them amazed to see one of the famous and mysterious Agents. At the same time, they are all concerned by the fact that one is in the open and currently running towards the Security HQ.

Ika runs into the Security HQ and goes up to the desk. "I need to speak with Security Chief Ridge immediately."

The desk clerk looks up, ready to tell this random stranger to wait, and pauses. Seeing the Agent gear, he nods and presses a button on his desktop. "Mr. Ridge! Emergency in the lobby, come down as quickly as you can!"

It takes only half a minute for Ridge to enter the lobby. "What is it?! What's going on?" Ridge looks around, searching for the danger. The second he sees Ika in full Agent armor, he pauses.

"Agent Four. Why are you here?" Ika walks up to him and gestures to the back of the building. Reading the implications, Ridge leads Ika to the back of the HQ.

Once they are in a safe location, Ridge finally speaks his mind. "What the hell happened to you Ika? You look like you got sent through a blender!"

Ika looks at his battered and bruised body and grins slightly. "I guess so, but that's not important. Just a bit ago, maybe twenty minutes or so, the Octoling Commander announced that he was going to invade Inkopolis."

This captures Ridge's attention. "What?! An invasion?!"

Ika nods. "Yes. However, that isn't the biggest issue. He's controlling the Octoling populace right now, forcing them to fight against their will. The Octolings are not our enemy right now, and as such, we need to focus on Octavius. I already have a plan in mind."

The Agent then proceeds to tell Ridge of the plan, including how the hypno-shades work. After the explanation, Ridge nods his head in thought. "Alright. I'll go ahead and announce that we will be invaded. I'll make sure the defenses are set up and that we are prepared for the invasion force. You said that there is a squadron of Octolings not under control as well?" Ika nods.

The Security Chief nods to himself. "In that case, I will announce that there are Octolings on our side. Go, get your Agents ready. I will make sure Inkopolis is prepared."

With a quick nod of agreement, Ika runs out of the Security HQ. As Ika leaves, he says one last thing. "I'll send files to your phone. It'll give you more information." Ridge nods and turns away, walking to his office. He has an important announcement to make.

* * *

"Citizens of Inkopolis!" All across the city screens change to the face of Security Chief Ridge. Every inkling stops their activities and looks up at the TVs. those who saw Agent Four begin to have a bad feeling build in their stomachs.

Ridge's stern silence moves to speech. "At this very moment, the Octoling forces are preparing to launch an invasion against Inkopolis."

This causes panic in the crowd. Almost every citizen begins talking in fearful tones, wondering what is going on. Ridge continues his speech. "That is why I ask you all to take up arms and fight against the enemy! Stand tall and defend this city!"

The panic begins to die down as determination slowly takes over. Ridge looks down, pausing, then begins speaking again. "However, this isn't all. The invasion force is being used against their will! The Octoling Commander Octavius Trench is forcing them to attack us with mind-controlling devices!"

An image of Octavius and the hypno-shades appear on the screens. Every single inkling shivers at the sight of the red-eyed Octoling Commander. Ridge continues. "Our primary goal is to defend the line and give the Agents of Inkopolis time to shut down the hypno-shades and free the Octolings. Once that has happened, the invasion is over!"

Images of the Agents, each one of them, appear on the screens. Amber, Ika, Callie, and Marie, all disguised, visible to the world. Ridge gestures to where Ika's picture is. "Agent Four will be the one attempting the shutdown. The other Agents, minus Agent Three who is not in Inkopolis, will stand by us and fight the invasion force."

Ridge pulls down the images and gives Inkopolis a stern look. "Casualties on both sides must be kept to a minimum. However, there will be deaths, and some of you might not come back alive. There won't be any respawning this time."

While this does cause fear in most of the citizens, none of them back down. Using cameras hidden throughout the city to view the populace, Ridge smirks in pride. "We will win this fight! In commemoration of the one that gave us this information, use the color red for your ink! We fight for Inkopolis, and for a brighter future!"

This rallies the inklings into a patriotic frenzy. The citizens who can fight, which is most of the city, all run around to grab their weapons. Those who can't fight, children and the elderly, are safely escorted by Rank S members to safe locations. The preparations for the invasion have begun.

* * *

As the Agents and Kai's squadron enter the city, they are met with a brand new place unseen to the before. Inklings everywhere, all armed and using the color red. Snipers on the rooftops of the square, cans for specials strewn about, and every citizen focusing on barriers.

One inkling uses a bubbler special to lift up multiple bags on concrete and lay them down on the battlements. Another group sets up a mounted Stingray near a roofed shelter. Ridge is over-seeing the preparations, a checklist in hand.

Ika walks over, looking at all the defenses laid out. "Wow. You guys worked fast."

Ridge turns and grins. "When you have thousands of inklings all working together with specials on hand, things tend to go quickly. That mechanic of yours helped a lot with his supply of heavy artillery."

As Ika looks out across the defense line, he notices the color of ink. "Why is everyone red?"

This makes Ridge pause. "Well, we need to be the same ink color to prevent injuries. Besides, you gave us the information to prepare for the invasion. We're honoring you with this color."

Ika blushes a bit at the comment. "Wow. Um… thank you. I'm flattered." Ridge just smirks and turns back to the defenses.

As Kai's squadron walks up, each of them looking around in awe and curiosity, Ridge turns to the group again. "So, are these the Octolings joining us in the fight?"

Kai turns to Ridge and looks him up and down. She smirks just a bit. "Well now, I didn't think I'd find a competent inkling commander outside the Agents."

This causes Ridge to laugh a bit. "Hey! I'd like to think that I'm a good Security Chief! I did catch Agent Four in the act!"

Marie turns to Ika with a glare, who simply backs up slightly from his angry cousin. Callie giggles in amusement while Kai crosses her arms. "Caught in the act, huh? Nice job Commander…"

"Ridge." Ridge extends his hand in greeting. Kai looks at it for a bit, then grabs it. Ridge gives it a good shake and Kai realizes this is a greeting. "Ah. I am General Kai, the top fighter of King Octavio's forces."

The smirk on Ridge's face grows. "Well now, how lucky is that! I'm sure you'll do great in the defense."

This makes Kai smirk a bit more. Ridge turns back to the defense line and yells, "Inklings! The Agents have arrived! Finish preparations and get into position!"

The citizens all turn and nod. Some pause at the sight of all three Agents right in front of them, but most finish their work and move to their positions on the defense line. Ika walks up with Ridge as he goes behind the walls of concrete bags. "So, how are the defenses set up?"

Ridge shows Ika the checklist and says, "We have the snipers on the rooftops using the ventilation exhausts as cover. In the backline, behind the concrete walls, we have myself and the mounted artillery. Most of the artillery will be in the roofed areas next to us, but I need to see the whole battlefield. I'll be watching the fights and giving orders through a microphone connected to the screens overhead. Then, directly below us in the trenches built with the concrete bags are the gunners. Shooters, dualies, any sort of mid-range weapon will be stationed here. Then, once the battle starts, the front liners will be in no-man's-land."

Giving a nod of satisfaction, Ika looks up at the mountains beyond the city borders. "Now, we just have to wait."

However, right as he says that the city begins shaking. Inklings stumble, some falling, as they try to keep their balance. Ika frowns and leaps up to the nearest rooftop, startling a sniper. He looks at the mountains, trying to figure out what's causing the shaking. When he sees the reason, his face turns pale.

"AIRSHIPS!"

The inklings all look up and gape at the sight coming over the buildings near the mountains. Airships, multiple of them, all flying towards Inkopolis Square. One bigger than the rest flies directly in the middle.

The defense line watches as someone walks to the edge of the largest airship. Ika growls as he recognizes the figure. "Octavius."

The Octoling Commander looks down upon Inkopolis from the airship. He frowns as he notices the defenses set up by the inkling populace at Inkopolis square. He growls in anger as he notices not only the Agents alive, but Kai's squadron standing with them. "Damn those traitors!"

He turns back to the airship and walks towards the control cabin. He pulls out a microphone and yells, "Descend! Crush their defenses!"

The inklings below watch as the airships begin descending towards Inkopolis Square. Ridge frowns and turns towards Kai. "That many Octolings… we need to fire. I'm sorry, but if we let that many reach the ground, we'll be overrun. I have to think of my people first."

Kai grimaces, but nods. "I understand. I'd rather save some than none at all."

With that confirmation, Ridge brings the microphone up to his mouth. "Inklings, fire!"

Now given a command, the inklings begin to open fire on the airships. Stingrays and Killer Wails use their high-powered beams to destroy the ship hulls. Inkzookas explode upon the airships, destroying the armor outside.

Then, the ships fire back. Missiles, bombs, Killer Wails, everything is returned. The frontline inklings all open up a special can and absorb the energy. Using the energy, a wall of bubblers is made to block the fire.

The ships continue descending, none of them getting destroyed or even faltering in the face of such brutal beatings. Then, the hull of one of the airships explodes. Kai covers her eyes slightly from the blast, then watches in contained horror at the burning wreckage.

The destroyed airship's hull peels away and another container inside is revealed. From this container hidden within the airship's exterior are Octolings, all of them wearing shades. Despite her joy at her people surviving the blast, she needs to relay this information. "The airships! They aren't just weapon carriers, they are protecting containers filled with the soldiers!"

Ridge nods and relays the information across the battlefield. The inklings roar in determination as they run out to the battlefield, meeting the advancing army head-on.

The Agents all hold their own part in the defense. Marie stands atop a nearby building and shoots from above, her charger knocking off as many shades as possible. Just like Callie, anyone that has the shades knocked off fell unconscious.

Callie flies across the battlefield, her new-found powers retained, despite the shades not being on her head anymore. Callie laughs in delight at how she can control ink, using it to reposition her roller almost instantaneously at any given moment. She is a whirlwind on the frontlines.

Meanwhile, Ika manages to use the rooftops to sneak behind the advancing army. He glances upwards, seeing the largest airship still high in the air. Seeing no other option, he turns into a squid and super jumps up to the airship.

A small splash accompanies Ika's landing. He stands up straight, looking across the deck of the ship. His eyes widen as he notices Octavius watching him. The Commander smirks, his hands behind his back, "Well, I was expecting this the second I saw you had survived."

The smirk turns into a nasty scowl. "And the fact that those _traitors_ helped you live. They are not deserving of my world view."

Ika steps forward a bit, undeterred by Octavius's anger. "It's over Octavius. We expected your attack and your forces are too inexperienced to fight effectively. Nothing you do today will help you win."

Octavius turns and walks towards the edge of the airship. "Maybe. Maybe not. But I'd suggest you worry about your allies."

This makes Ika pause. Octavius gestures to the battlefield and says "That pesky commander of yours, he needs to die."

Ika's eyes widen as he sees a hatch on the deck open, revealing an inkstrike rocket beneath it. "No!" He turns and runs to the edge of the ship. Screaming as loud as he can, he yells, "INKSTRIKE! GET TO COVER!"

Ridge, hearing the warning, brings his microphone up. "Inkstrike incoming! Prepare yourselves!"

The inkstrike rocket launches into the air as multiple inklings use their special cans to form bubblers. A massive line of barriers forms along the front line. However, Ridge's face turns pale as he realizes the rocket's trajectory. "No. NO! PROTECT THE BACKLINE!"

The inklings with bubblers soon come to the same conclusion and run back, trying desperately to reach the backlines. Ridge opens up one of the cans next to him and uses the released energy to form a bubbler as big as he can get. The barrier expands to immense sizes, covering his whole command point. This protected himself, Kai, and her backline squadmates.

However, this didn't protect everyone. Some bubblers simply weren't fast enough. Others got overwhelmed by the advancing Octolings. Some managed to make it. The results are still devastating.

The resulting explosion of ink decimates the entire backline. What used to be hundreds of octolings is now reduced to half. Bodies lay cold on the cement, eyes wide in a frozen moment of fear.

Ika watches this happen with horror in his eyes. Then, Octavius speaks. "Now then, since the backline is sufficiently destroyed, I am going to remove the frontline."

A loud _whir _is heard beneath the ship and Ika looks down. What he sees makes him nearly freeze in fear.

Rockets. Hundreds of rockets, each one pointed at the frontlines. But something is off about them. They look more refined, more built for extra components. These are normal inkstrikes.

Ridge sees the airship open the rocket port and yells, "TAKE COVER!" The backline and mid-range fighters frantically move to secure, roofed parts of the trench, trying to cover themselves from the explosions that are soon to come. The frontliners, unable to leave the Octolings alone, continue fighting.

Octavius gestures downward and says one word. "Fire."

Everything goes to hell.

The rockets launch, a barrage of deadly projectiles flying at high speeds toward the frontline. The first rocket explodes, and when the result is fire and smoke, not ink, Ika knows something is dangerously wrong.

Bodies are blown back from the force of the explosions, some dead, others alive, most injured. When Ika sees just as many Octoling bodies as Inkling bodies, he realizes the devastating truth. "Gunpowder rockets. Gunpowder?! You're killing your own people!"

Octavius growls as he backs up. Ika advances on the Commander, rage roaring in his eyes. "Your own kind, and you are KILLING THEM?! What is the meaning of this senseless slaughter?!"

The Commander presses against a door and grabs the handle. "Why don't I keep you guessing?" He throws open the door and runs inside the airship. Ika roars and follows after him.

The inside of the airship is bland, metallic gray covering every inch of the interior. Explosions rock the ship from the outside, something that should be concerning if the ship is in the air, but Ika doesn't pay attention.

The Agent follows the Commander through the maze of metal hallways until they reach a massive room. Evident by the screens and lines of keyboards and buttons, this is the control room.

Ika looks at Octavius with a harsh glare. Octavius turns with a snarl, anger evident on his face. "Your city is dead, your people fall. Why do you keep fighting against me?!"

The Agent just steps forward, his brush forming in hand. "I will never give up on those who need me. And I will certainly never submit to the likes of you!"

Another step follows the first. Octavius steps back and demands, "Not another step, or else everyone below will die!"

Ika smirks. "Try me."

Octavius's eyes narrow as he pulls out a button. "With this controller, this ship will explode. This ship has enough remaining explosives to level a city block. What hope do you have to survive?"

This makes Ika pause. He frowns. "Alright, fine. But before anything, tell me this. Why slaughter your own kind? What did they do to deserve this?!"

Octavius growls in anger. "They are weak-minded _fools,_ cowering beneath the comforts of their _games _and _lies_ like a bunch of brainless animals. Octolings are soldiers! We fight, we conquer, we continue to grow until our forces are unstoppable! That fool Octavio lost sight of the Octoling nature and submitted the populace to a rule of _submission_."

A maniacal grin forms on Octavius's face. "I plan on re-writing it all. I will reform the Octoling race anew. They will be the ultimate lifeforms, and we will stand at the pinnacle of all races!"

The grin disappears as quickly as it came. "But to do that, I need a clean slate. And everyone unfit for my perfect world WILL BE WIPED CLEAN FROM THIS EARTH!"

With that final declaration, Octavius slams his fist against the button of the controller. The screens behind Ika all blare loudly as red lights flash. A mechanical voice echoes, "Self-Destruction Sequence Initiated. T Minus 50 Seconds."

Ika runs over to the control board and tries to find some sort of off switch. His actions become progressively more panicked as he finds nothing.

"That won't work, Agent!" Ika turns to look at Octavius. The Commander grins. "This remote is the only thing that'll stop the self-destruct sequence. You won't be getting your filthy hands on it!"

Ika growls and runs at full speed toward Octavius. Right as he is about to grab the Commander, Octavius smirks. The floor beneath Octavius suddenly opens up and Octavius is dropped out of the airship. Ika looks down with wide eyes as he sees Octavius land on the skyscraper below and run.

"40 seconds until self-destruct." Ika turns back to the screen and looks at the controls. "Come on, come on!"

After just a couple of seconds, he finds his target. The off switch for the hypno-shades. Ika flips the switch, turns, and runs to the hole Octavius jumped out of. He lands on the skyscraper below the airship and looks at the battlefield.

Rubble littered the area, along with broken cars and even some beams from nearby buildings. The missiles stopped, but the damage was massive. The frontline is no longer there, all of them retreating or helping others retreat. The Octolings are no longer attacking, all of them on the ground unconscious. Kai's squad begins pulling the Octolings to the defenses, taking the shades off in the process. Seeing this, the Inklings follow suit.

"30 seconds." Ika looks up and sees the ship descending. His eyes widen as he realizes that Octavius didn't want the ship to explode midair. He's going to have the ship descend and take as many with it as possible.

Ika jumps down from the buildings and runs toward the defense line. "HEY! THE SHIP IS GOING TO BLOW!"

The Inklings in the front line hear this and look up at the ship. When a mechanical voice echoes "20 seconds until self-destruct", panic settles in. The Inklings and Octolings alike scramble for cover. Ridge, seeing this and hearing the warning, announces, "Cover as many Octolings as you can with bubblers! Protect the innocents and GET TO COVER!"

Ika manages to get to the backline as the ship says, "10 seconds." Ika looks around and says, "Is that everyone?"

"HELP!"

The voice screaming makes Ika's blood run cold. He turns to the battlefield and sees one last Inkling still struggling. The beanie and Agent armor made it obvious who it is. "CALLIE!"

Ika jumps from the backline and runs over to Callie. Callie grimaces as she tries to push the massive piece of broken pavement off her leg. Ika grabs beneath and grunts as he tries to lift. He screams in desperation and nudges the pavement.

"5 seconds remaining." Ika looks at the pavement, which barely moved, then at Callie.

"4 seconds remaining." Callie cries a bit, her fears running rampant from the inevitable end she is about to meet.

"3" A shadow covers her vision and she looks up.

"2" Callie's eyes widen as she sees Ika cover her body with his own. His eyes are shut tight as he grips Callie tightly.

"1"

"IKA!"

_**BOOM!**_

Fire rains down as the airship explodes. Debris and bodies alike are sent flying as the force of the explosion rams into the defense line. The concrete walls tumble like dominos as steel posts are snapped like twigs. Then, silence.

Smoke covers the battlefield, fire burning at the wreckage of the airship. People crawl from their cover, Inkling and Octoling, friend and foe. Each one looks at the wreckage and destruction. Each one is unable to do more than stare.

A shrill scream echoes through the air. The defenders turn to the battlefield and look at the source of the scream. Callie Cuttlefish, known for being an unbreakable ball of energy and happiness, is screaming in despair. Underneath her arms is a scorched body.

The defenders watch with a solemn air as Marie jumps down from her building. She runs over to Callie's sobbing form and looks at the body. Her hand covers her mouth and her eyes go wide. Tears build, sobs forming within her. Then, she can't handle it anymore. Marie, the stoic Commander, begins sobbing quietly.

Kai rushes forward, wondering what is going on. She notices the charred body beneath Callie's arms and her eyes widen. "Ika." She runs forward and kneels down next to Ika's body.

She searches his body for something, _anything_, that would mean he is alive. After a moment of hopeless searching, she grimaces and turns away.

Then, she notices it. Ika's mouth barely moves, almost not even a twitch, but it's there. Her eyes widen and she presses her head against the Agent's chest. Her eyes grow to the size of saucers. "He's breathing!"

Callie's sobs quiet down and she looks up. Kai stands up and yells, "MEDICS! GET ME MEDICS OVER HERE!"

As the frontliners hurry to grab medics, Kai turns to Callie and Marie. She looks at Ika's body and says, "He's breathing, but barely. We need to get him to the hospital as soon as possible."

The medics rush over to Ika's side as Callie's eyes fill with hope. "Really?!" Kai nods.

The lead paramedic looks over Ika's body and grimaces. "He's alive, but just barely. He might not even be able to fight again with how bad these burns are, but we'll try everything we can to help. Hurry! Get him on a stretcher and bring him to the hospital!"

A stretcher is brought out in no time and the medics all begin hauling Ika to the hospital. The Inklings and Octolings, some regaining consciousness, are uncertain what to do.

Marie, seeing this confusion, walks over to a nearby van. She jumps on top and yells, "Inklings and Octolings alike!"

This announcement takes the attention of all those still conscious. Marie looks across the crowd and yells, "This invasion is over. Octavius has disappeared and the Octolings are free to go! If you allow it, we can use this to form new bonds, new friendships! The Octolings can be free again!"

The Octolings begin smiling at Marie's message. Marie then exclaims, "With our help, the help of the Inklings, we can forge an even better city than before! We can make Inkopolis a paradise for ALL people, not just Inklings! We can make this a safe haven for all races!"

Marie raises her fist and shouts, "We won this invasion. Now let us forge on to a brighter future!"

The crowd roars in agreement. Cheers are exclaimed as warriors lay down to rest. Greetings, conversations, and new friendships spring from this invasion. Inklings and Octolings alike join in arms to clean up the debris of the invasion.

The battle has been won.

**-Author Notes-**

**And thus ends this story. What a ride this has been. While there is an epilogue to be made after this, this is the end of the main story.**

**I thank you all so much for reading, and I hope you all enjoyed!**


	30. Epilogue

**Epilogue**

The aftermath wasn't easy. Any battle will have its consequences and this battle was no different, no matter how quickly it ended.

Casualties were unavoidable. Both sides suffered some sort of loss, big or small. The Octolings suffered many casualties with the final explosion, the majority of them being unconscious and unable to find shelter. The frontline Inklings were greatly reduced from the volley of explosions, so many of them unprepared to take the force of gunpowder explosions instead of inkstrikes.

The reactions from the Octolings wasn't much greater. The Octolings, surrounded by their supposed enemy, tried to attack. The ferocity of the retaliation and the suddenness of the attack took many Inklings off guard. Those closest were sent to hospitals, others injured before Kai could come in and calm them down.

The proceeding events were a blur for everyone present. Kai, as the general of the Octoling forces, took Octavio's stead in initiating an alliance with Inkopolis. The Inklings were all too happy to accept the Octolings into the city. They had already seen the good side of Octolings through Marina after all.

Not all Octolings were happy with this. Most returned to the underground, not willing to leave behind the lives they've established. Others accepted the offer to Inkopolis, but with nowhere to go, quickly returned home. Some vehemently refused, not accepting the fact that Inklings were a tolerable race.

The aftermath was messy, but it went better than most could have predicted. Marie smiles as she watches a pair consisting of an Inkling and Octoling walk along the street, talking like old friends. It's been a couple of weeks since the battle and soon Amber would be returning from her training trip.

Callie sits directly across from Marie, slurping down a slushie with the vigor of a starving man. Marie giggles as Callie flinches in pain, gripping her head. "I keep telling you to slow down Callie!"

Her cousin pouts, one eye tearing up a bit from the cold headache. "But it's so _gooooood_." The drawn-out 'good' makes Marie laugh loudly, her cousin giggling in return.

"Hey! Callie, Marie!" Marie grins and turns around. There she sees Ika walking towards them. He smiles, the scarred skin on his face stretching from the burns. "Hey, Ika! How are you feeling?"

Ika grabs a chair and carefully sits down, his crutches next to him. Despite the hospital's recommendations, Ika didn't want to use a wheelchair. If he can walk, he'll do it. No better way to get better than to do the actions needed.

The scarred inkling rubs the back of his head. "I'm a lot better than when I first woke up. It'll be a few more weeks until I get my legs stable again, and even then I might not be able to fight for a few months."

Callie frowns and hugs her brother. "Aw, that's your passion though! What are you going to do in the meantime?"

Ika returns the hug and grins. "I'm not the only one with a passion for fighting. I'm sure Amber would love to learn a few things from me."

"Speaking of which, I think that's her coming off the train right now." The group turns to the train tracks a few dozen feet away. The doors of the train open and out steps a familiar, orange-haired inkling.

Ika's smile widens immensely at the sight of his honorary little sister. "Amber! It's been so long!"

Amber turns towards the call and notices Ika. She smiles widely, then steps back in shock. "Woah! What happened to you?!"

The young inkling has a right to be startled. Ika's body is covered in darkened patches of skin, most of it a strange mix of peach and grey. Some red spots are seen on his visible skin, especially on his face. His face is littered with scars, most of them pale and healed. His legs are the worst, the skin close to black in some areas.

The Agent rubs his head sheepishly, balancing on his crutches. "That's a long story. I'll be sure to tell you, but long story short, I took the brunt of a gunpowder explosion." Ika pauses and looks at Amber's face closer. "Wait a second, what happened to you?"

Amber brings a hand up to the skin beneath her left eye. The skin is discolored, a sickening blue-green tint in a splotch around the eye. Her eye itself is bright blue instead of her usual orange. "This? It happened during the training trip. That's also a long story."

Ika grins. "You'll have to tell me then!"

Amber crosses her arms under her chest as Marie and Callie return with Cap'n. "Only if you tell me yours first!" Ika smirks and nods.

Cap'n smiles as he sees his grandson. "Well now, how nice to see you Ika! I was told you survived a gunpowder explosion!"

The black-haired inkling grins in embarrassment. "Didn't have much of a choice, but yeah, I did."

The old inkling nods, almost as if approving. Then, he turns to the train. "Agent Eight! Come on kiddo, we can't stay here too long!"

The cousins and siblings look between each other. Callie is the one to voice their confusion. "Agent Eight?"

Amber shakes her head. "Another long story. We'll introduce you to her first. EIGHT, COME ON!"

A small 'meep' is heard from the train, then another person walks out. The Agents look in surprise as a young Octoling, maybe no older than 14, walks out of the train. Her hair is short and a bit messy, a hairstyle not seen before.

The Octoling, obviously Agent Eight, looks around in wonder. Ika walks up to the Octoling and waves. "Hello there! Eight, is it?"

Eight looks forward, expecting to see someone only slightly taller than herself. However, when she has to look up, and up, and up, she is amazed at the sight she sees. A six-foot-tall inkling is grinning at her, hand outstretched in greeting, crutches under his arms. The skin is patchy with burn marks, but otherwise seems fine.

The new Agent grabs the hand in greeting. "H-Hello. I'm E-Eight."

The black-haired inkling smiles warmly. "A bit timid. It's kinda cute."

The Octoling blushes, then goes back to looking around. Her eyes trail along the streets, progressively getting wider as she sees more Octolings. "Octolings, up on the surface? Without any aggression from King Octavio?"

Ika turns to Amber in confusion. "What happened? Why does she not know this? I thought all Octolings were present at the battle."

Amber grimaces a bit. "She has amnesia. Despite our best attempts, she still can't remember everything. It's been a bit difficult dealing with it, especially for Eight."

The family nods in understanding. Ika turns to Eight and watches her shrink away from an Inkling. The Inkling only gives her a strange look and moves along. Ika watches the Inkling walk away, then turns to Eight. "Scared?"

Eight nods. "W-What if the Inklings h-hate me? I'm so n-new to fighting."

Ika places a hand on the young Octoling's shoulder, causing the girl to look up at him. Ika smiles warmly and says, "Don't worry, no one will hate you. Inkopolis is the most accepting city in the world. Everyone has a place, no matter who or what they are. You'll have me and Amber by your side as well."

This puts a small smile on the Octoling's face. She looks down, then past Ika. The second she sees Callie and Marie, her eyes sparkle immensely. "The Squid Sisters!"

Eight charges forward and begins talking animatedly to Callie and Marie. The two flustered cousins attempt to calm down the Octoling with little luck. Ika and Amber laugh as they watch the scene. Ika smirks and looks at Marie. "Got a new biggest fan I see!" Marie gives him a small glare with a hint of amusement in her gaze.

Cap'n chuckles at the young girl's antics. "Alright squiddos, let's go home. It's been way too long!" This causes Amber to cheer in delight. Eight continues speaking to Callie and Marie, Ika laughing in the background.

"Fight towards a brighter future." This goal has been achieved. Those shattered by grief and pain have rebuilt themselves into even better versions of themselves. Peace is at an all-time high. The world is finally whole.

* * *

A deep huff of air is taken as the figure continues scaling the mountain. They grunt in pain, nearly falling down the slope, but continue upward. After a short bit, they finally reach their destination.

There, right within a small cave, is a large chunk of metal. The metal is leaking a disgusting blue-green substance. The figure climbs up to the wreckage and begins pulling it apart.

After an hour of digging, the figure finally finds their target. A small telephone, nearly completely destroyed. The same substance from the wreckage around them leaks out, but it twitches in the air, as if alive.

The figure scoops up the substance and stuffs it into a jar. They grin widely. "Finally. After all this time, I can finally begin. The ultimate race shall be made." Blood-red eyes flash as the figure turns away, leaving the smoldering wreckage behind.

**-Author Notes-**

**This is it! The final chapter of Shattered Whole. Yes, there will be a sequel. When? I don't know. However, it is planned and will eventually come to fruition!**

**Did you all enjoy Ika as a character? What about the changes to the story? Please leave a review and tell me your thoughts! I might even take story suggestions for the sequel.**

**Thank you all so much for reading!**


End file.
